Smart News | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/smart-news/RSS feed for Smart NewsenTue, 04 Aug 2026 20:33:07 +0000This American Pilot Downed 40 Enemy Aircraft During World War II. Researchers Discovered the Wreck of His Plane in a Pacific Jungle and Brought a Wing Back to His Home Statehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-pilot-downed-4o-enemy-aircraft-during-world-war-ii-researchers-discovered-the-wreck-of-his-plane-in-a-pacific-jungle-and-brought-a-wing-back-to-his-home-state-180989259/Richard I. Bong, flying a plane decorated with a portrait of his future wife Marge, became America's highest-scoring "ace" and received a Medal of HonorTue, 04 Aug 2026 20:33:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-pilot-downed-4o-enemy-aircraft-during-world-war-ii-researchers-discovered-the-wreck-of-his-plane-in-a-pacific-jungle-and-brought-a-wing-back-to-his-home-state-180989259/Two People Died After Getting Sick With Cyclosporiasis, Marking the First Known Deaths Linked to the Ongoing Multistate Outbreakhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-peope-died-after-getting-sick-with-cyclosporiasis-marking-the-first-known-deaths-linked-to-the-ongoing-multi-state-outbreak-180989256/Both patients, who were in Michigan, had underlying health conditions, according to state officials. The parasite-caused infection usually isn't life-threateningTue, 04 Aug 2026 19:17:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-peope-died-after-getting-sick-with-cyclosporiasis-marking-the-first-known-deaths-linked-to-the-ongoing-multi-state-outbreak-180989256/The Danube River Has Fallen to Record-Low Water Levels, Revealing Nazi Warships, Bombs and Woolly Mammoth Bones In Its Channelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-danube-river-has-fallen-to-record-low-water-levels-revealing-nazi-warships-bombs-and-woolly-mammoth-bones-in-its-channel-180989255/Residents and researchers are finding historic and prehistoric relics of the past as Europe's second-longest river driesTue, 04 Aug 2026 18:20:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-danube-river-has-fallen-to-record-low-water-levels-revealing-nazi-warships-bombs-and-woolly-mammoth-bones-in-its-channel-180989255/In a First, Astronomers May Have Spotted a Supermassive Black Hole That Wandered to the Edge of Its Galaxyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-supermassive-black-hole-that-wandered-to-the-edge-of-its-galaxy-180989233/These giant celestial objects have mostly been identified at the centers of galaxies, where they're known to reside. But a recently discovered one—found because of the light emitted while it snacked on a star—appears to be more than 30,000 light-years from its host galaxy's heartTue, 04 Aug 2026 16:16:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-supermassive-black-hole-that-wandered-to-the-edge-of-its-galaxy-180989233/These Early Biplanes Documented the Arctic, Captured Newsreel Footage and Witnessed Lindbergh's Historic Flight. Now, a Rare Example Will Hang in a Museumhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-early-biplanes-documented-the-arctic-captured-newsreel-footage-and-witnessed-lindberghs-historic-flight-now-a-rare-example-will-hang-in-a-museum-180989253/The Cradle of Aviation Museum recently acquired a Curtiss Oriole, three-seat biplane manufactured at a nearby Garden City factoryTue, 04 Aug 2026 15:17:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-early-biplanes-documented-the-arctic-captured-newsreel-footage-and-witnessed-lindberghs-historic-flight-now-a-rare-example-will-hang-in-a-museum-180989253/Ancient North American Mammals May Have Gathered in Mexico and Diversified Before Moving to South America, Priming Them to Thrive Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-north-american-mammals-may-have-gathered-in-mexico-and-diversified-before-moving-to-south-america-priming-them-to-thrive-there-180989251/An analysis of fossils from the country hints that animals from the north stayed in a "holding pen" between seven million and ten million years ago. The timeline might help explain why so many South American mammals have North American ancestry, but not vice versaTue, 04 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-north-american-mammals-may-have-gathered-in-mexico-and-diversified-before-moving-to-south-america-priming-them-to-thrive-there-180989251/To Recover Artworks Looted by the Nazis, Researchers Are Getting Creative, With New Strategies Including an A.I. Chatbot and a Campaign of 'Wanted' Postershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-recover-artworks-looted-by-the-nazis-researchers-are-getting-creative-with-new-strategies-including-an-ai-chatbot-and-a-campaign-of-wanted-posters-180989247/University researchers hope their new artificial intelligence chatbot makes provenance research easier and more accessibleMon, 03 Aug 2026 21:33:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-recover-artworks-looted-by-the-nazis-researchers-are-getting-creative-with-new-strategies-including-an-ai-chatbot-and-a-campaign-of-wanted-posters-180989247/New Images Provide the Best Evidence Yet That Supergiant Star Betelgeuse Does, Indeed, Have a Long-Theorized Stellar Companionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/The research team is mostly convinced by the data, but they want to capture additional observations in 2027 to confirm what they've foundMon, 03 Aug 2026 20:07:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/This 400-Year-Old Impenetrable Japanese Castle That Survived a Samurai Siege Just Crumbled in an Earthquakehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-400-year-old-impenetrable-japanese-castle-that-survived-a-samurai-siege-just-crumbled-in-an-earthquake-180989248/In 1877, a force rebelling against Emperor Meiji attacked Kumamoto Castle on Japan's southern Kyushu islandMon, 03 Aug 2026 19:55:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-400-year-old-impenetrable-japanese-castle-that-survived-a-samurai-siege-just-crumbled-in-an-earthquake-180989248/A Man Used This Civil War Artifact as a Paperweight on His Desk. The Bomb Squad Told Him It Was Actually a Live Explosivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-used-this-civil-war-artifact-as-a-paperweight-on-his-desk-the-bomb-squad-told-him-it-was-actually-a-live-explosive-180989245/The device turned out to be an artillery shell designed for a Parrott rifle in the mid-1800s. Experts safely detonated it at a firing range near San AntonioMon, 03 Aug 2026 19:40:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-used-this-civil-war-artifact-as-a-paperweight-on-his-desk-the-bomb-squad-told-him-it-was-actually-a-live-explosive-180989245/After Receiving a Custom Experimental Medicine, a Teen With a Rare Genetic Disorder Walked on His Own for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-receiving-a-custom-experimental-medicine-a-teen-with-a-rare-genetic-disorder-walked-on-his-own-for-the-first-time-180989230/The patient's genetic disorder causes frequent seizures and developmental delays. His progress, along with that of another boy who received a similar personalized treatment, highlights the promise—and challenges—of tailor-made drugsMon, 03 Aug 2026 17:31:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-receiving-a-custom-experimental-medicine-a-teen-with-a-rare-genetic-disorder-walked-on-his-own-for-the-first-time-180989230/Smallpox DNA Hidden for Centuries in Mummies Found in Chile Suggests European Colonists Brought the Virus to the Americashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-dna-hidden-for-centuries-in-mummies-found-in-chile-suggests-european-colonists-brought-the-virus-to-the-americas-180989244/Researchers say they found the first direct, molecular proof of the deadly trajectory the virus tookMon, 03 Aug 2026 15:27:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-dna-hidden-for-centuries-in-mummies-found-in-chile-suggests-european-colonists-brought-the-virus-to-the-americas-180989244/This Man Turned Human Corpses Into Popular Museum Displays. Now, the Creator of These Controversial ‘Body Worlds’ Has Donated His Own Body to Sciencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-turned-human-corpses-into-popular-museum-displays-now-the-creator-of-these-controversial-body-worlds-has-donated-his-own-body-to-science-180989242/Gunther von Hagens, who invented plastination, a method of preserving bodies by replacing their natural fluids with polymers, recently died at age 81Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:56:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-turned-human-corpses-into-popular-museum-displays-now-the-creator-of-these-controversial-body-worlds-has-donated-his-own-body-to-science-180989242/Rare Fossil Reveals a Three-Tier Food Chain Frozen in Time: a Pterosaur Eaten by an Ichthyosaur Eaten by a Pliosaurhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-fossil-reveals-a-three-tier-food-chain-frozen-in-time-a-pterosaur-eaten-by-an-ichthyosaur-eaten-by-a-pliosaur-180989243/Uncovered in part by amateur fossil hunters in Australia, the fossil preserves a unique look at prehistoric predatory dynamicsFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:40:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-fossil-reveals-a-three-tier-food-chain-frozen-in-time-a-pterosaur-eaten-by-an-ichthyosaur-eaten-by-a-pliosaur-180989243/The Iconic Watts Towers in Los Angeles Will Get a $22 Million Campus Expansion Ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-iconic-watts-towers-in-los-angeles-will-get-a-22-million-campus-expansion-ahead-of-the-2028-summer-olympics-180989240/Five acres of green space will surround the 17-structure landmark, a folk art masterpiece that an Italian immigrant built over the course of three decadesFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:05:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-iconic-watts-towers-in-los-angeles-will-get-a-22-million-campus-expansion-ahead-of-the-2028-summer-olympics-180989240/Archaeologists Discover Two Thumbnail-Size Bird Sculptures Carved From Mammoth Ivory 40,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-two-thumbnail-sized-bird-sculptures-carved-from-mammoth-ivory-40000-years-ago-180989239/Measuring less than an inch long, the figurines were buried beneath Germany's Hohle Fels Cave, where some of the world's oldest known figurative artworks have been foundFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:01:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-two-thumbnail-sized-bird-sculptures-carved-from-mammoth-ivory-40000-years-ago-180989239/Ice Age Humans Mostly Killed Female Woolly Mammoths, Suggests Ancient DNAhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ice-age-humans-mostly-killed-female-woolly-mammoths-suggests-ancient-dna-180989241/After analyzing more than 500 mammoth bones, researchers found that ancient humans disproportionately hunted female mammoths for reasons still unknownFri, 31 Jul 2026 17:41:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ice-age-humans-mostly-killed-female-woolly-mammoths-suggests-ancient-dna-180989241/Antarctic Interior Hits Minus 119.4 Degrees Fahrenheit, Earth's Lowest Recorded Temperature in More Than a Decadehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-interior-hits-119-4-degrees-fahrenheit-earths-lowest-recorded-temperature-in-more-than-a-decade-180989231/The record-setting cold at the Concordia research station comes just weeks after another part of the southernmost continent experienced the opposite extreme, with winter temperatures climbing to unprecedented highsFri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-interior-hits-119-4-degrees-fahrenheit-earths-lowest-recorded-temperature-in-more-than-a-decade-180989231/Mysterious Shapes Hidden Beneath the Amazon Canopy Reveal a Sprawling Ancient Civilization Much Bigger Than Researchers Expectedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-shapes-hidden-beneath-the-amazon-canopy-reveal-a-sprawling-ancient-civilization-much-bigger-than-researchers-expected-180989236/Scientists recently discovered hundreds of monumental, geometric earthworks known as "geoglyphs" in northern Brazil from the Aquiry civilizationFri, 31 Jul 2026 13:47:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-shapes-hidden-beneath-the-amazon-canopy-reveal-a-sprawling-ancient-civilization-much-bigger-than-researchers-expected-180989236/Audio Engineers Restored Hidden Notes and Revealed Lost Instruments in This New Treasure Trove of Songs by the Pioneering 'Mother of the Blues'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/audio-engineers-restored-hidden-notes-and-revealed-lost-instruments-in-this-new-treasure-trove-of-songs-by-the-pioneering-mother-of-the-blues-180989228/The 118-track collection is the most complete set ever compiled of recordings by American blues icon Ma RaineyThu, 30 Jul 2026 20:14:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/audio-engineers-restored-hidden-notes-and-revealed-lost-instruments-in-this-new-treasure-trove-of-songs-by-the-pioneering-mother-of-the-blues-180989228/A Strange, Never-Before-Seen Cancer Seems to Be Spreading Among Catfish in a New England Lakehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-strange-never-before-seen-cancer-seems-to-be-spreading-among-catfish-in-a-new-england-lake-180989195/More than a decade ago, fishers and biologists noticed jet-black tumors on the skin of brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. Genetic testing hints that they are caused by the first contagious cancer ever documented in fishThu, 30 Jul 2026 18:40:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-strange-never-before-seen-cancer-seems-to-be-spreading-among-catfish-in-a-new-england-lake-180989195/Dangerous 'Fire Clouds' Are Making France's Wildfires Even More Destructivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dangerous-fire-clouds-are-making-frances-wildfires-even-more-destructive-180989234/It's the first time the phenomenon, which is fairly common in North America, has been observed in FranceThu, 30 Jul 2026 18:14:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dangerous-fire-clouds-are-making-frances-wildfires-even-more-destructive-180989234/Want to Spend Some Alone Time With Stonehenge? This August, Lucky Visitors Get the Chance to Enter the Stone Circle Before the Site Opens to Touristshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/want-to-spend-some-alone-time-with-stonehenge-this-august-lucky-visitors-get-the-chance-to-enter-the-stone-circle-before-the-site-opens-to-tourists-180989229/Almost every day next month, management of the prehistoric landmark in England will draw a winning ticket and offer a unique experience to a visitor before the daily bustle beginsThu, 30 Jul 2026 18:02:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/want-to-spend-some-alone-time-with-stonehenge-this-august-lucky-visitors-get-the-chance-to-enter-the-stone-circle-before-the-site-opens-to-tourists-180989229/A Man Unearthed a Mysterious Metal Object Sticking Straight Up From the Ground. It Turned Out to Be a 2,700-Year-Old Swordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-unearthed-a-mysterious-metal-object-sticking-straight-up-from-the-ground-it-turned-out-to-be-a-2700-year-old-sword-180989232/Marcin Wiśniewski found the weapon while metal detecting in a forest near the Polish city of Gdańsk. Experts told him that it likely dates to between 900 and 700 B.C.E.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:01:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-unearthed-a-mysterious-metal-object-sticking-straight-up-from-the-ground-it-turned-out-to-be-a-2700-year-old-sword-180989232/Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-term-exposure-to-road-traffic-noise-might-increase-your-risk-of-developing-parkinsons-disease-new-research-suggests-180989216/A study that examined 3.1 million adults in Denmark across 18 years found a modest but consistent correlation. The findings hint that disruptive environmental sounds are a credible risk factor for the brain disorderThu, 30 Jul 2026 15:30:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-term-exposure-to-road-traffic-noise-might-increase-your-risk-of-developing-parkinsons-disease-new-research-suggests-180989216/The Dino-Killing Asteroid Strike May Have Transformed Our Planet Into a Hellish Inferno, Charbroiling Most Creatures Within Hourshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dino-killing-asteroid-strike-may-have-transformed-our-planet-into-a-hellish-inferno-charbroiling-most-creatures-within-hours-180989226/Based on computer simulations and geologic evidence, scientists propose that the deadly event may have caused global wildfires and trapped heat in the atmosphere, roasting any animal that couldn't take cover fast enoughThu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dino-killing-asteroid-strike-may-have-transformed-our-planet-into-a-hellish-inferno-charbroiling-most-creatures-within-hours-180989226/Australia’s Most Notorious Shipwreck Tells a Story of Murder, Slavery, Mutiny—and, Now, ‘Surprisingly Sophisticated’ Trade in the 17th Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-most-notorious-shipwreck-tells-a-story-of-murder-slavery-mutiny-and-now-surprisingly-sophisticated-trade-in-the-17th-century-180989227/When the Dutch East India Company’s flagship "Batavia" sank in 1629, it went down with large, carved sandstone blocks in its hold. The stones are now shedding light on trade at the dawn of global capitalismThu, 30 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-most-notorious-shipwreck-tells-a-story-of-murder-slavery-mutiny-and-now-surprisingly-sophisticated-trade-in-the-17th-century-180989227/This Pacific Island Disappeared Under Rising Seas. A New Sculpture Marking the Spot Will Morph Into a Home for Seabirds, Coral and Marine Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-pacific-island-disappeared-under-rising-seas-a-new-sculpture-marking-the-spot-will-morph-into-a-home-for-seabirds-coral-and-marine-life-180989223/"The Solomon Siren" remembers Kale Island, submerged a decade ago in the Solomon IslandsWed, 29 Jul 2026 19:53:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-pacific-island-disappeared-under-rising-seas-a-new-sculpture-marking-the-spot-will-morph-into-a-home-for-seabirds-coral-and-marine-life-180989223/See the New Frank Gehry Building Rising From the Shore of the Persian Gulf in Abu Dhabi to House a Global Art Collectionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-frank-gehry-building-rising-from-the-shore-of-the-persian-gulf-in-abu-dhabi-to-house-a-global-art-collection-180989224/Officials just announced a December opening for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the long-awaited fourth installment in the Guggenheim Foundation's lineup of art museumsWed, 29 Jul 2026 18:20:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-frank-gehry-building-rising-from-the-shore-of-the-persian-gulf-in-abu-dhabi-to-house-a-global-art-collection-180989224/A Metal Detectorist Discovered Tiny Tiles in a Farmer's Field. A Spectacular Ancient Roman Mosaic Was Buried Beneath the Surfacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-discovered-tiny-tiles-in-a-farmers-field-a-spectacular-ancient-roman-mosaic-was-buried-beneath-the-surface-180989222/The polychrome mosaic once decorated a small room in a lavish villa complex. Researchers, students and volunteers have been working together to excavate the rare site in southwestern EnglandWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:27:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-discovered-tiny-tiles-in-a-farmers-field-a-spectacular-ancient-roman-mosaic-was-buried-beneath-the-surface-180989222/How Did Some Reptiles Lose Their Limbs to Become Snakes? An 80-Million-Year-Old Fossil Helps Uncover the Winding Evolutionary Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/Researchers have long suspected that the first of these slithering creatures lived in water, on land or underground. New research hints that more than one environment might be correctWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:20:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/Heading to a National Park? Watch Out for Elk. They Attack People Way More Often Than Bears Do, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heading-to-a-national-park-watch-out-for-elk-they-attack-people-way-more-often-than-bears-do-according-to-a-new-study-180989191/While many people worry about grizzlies, an analysis of almost 3,000 encounters with aggressive wildlife in Canadian national parks and historical sites found that the huge ungulates were responsible for more than half of themWed, 29 Jul 2026 15:08:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heading-to-a-national-park-watch-out-for-elk-they-attack-people-way-more-often-than-bears-do-according-to-a-new-study-180989191/A Premature Baby Giraffe Born Via C-Section Is Fighting for Her Life at a Zoo in Kansashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-premature-baby-giraffe-born-via-c-section-is-fighting-for-her-life-at-a-zoo-in-kansas-180989214/According to officials with the Tanganyika Wildlife Park, no known giraffe calf has ever survived the procedure. The youngster, who was recently named Milani, was born on July 11, likely three to seven weeks earlyWed, 29 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-premature-baby-giraffe-born-via-c-section-is-fighting-for-her-life-at-a-zoo-in-kansas-180989214/A Man Picking Berries in the Forest in Poland Might Have Stumbled Upon the Wreckage of an Allied Airplane From World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-picking-berries-in-the-forest-in-poland-might-have-stumbled-upon-the-wreckage-of-an-allied-airplane-from-world-war-ii-180989219/Experts are still investigating but note that an earlier discovery nearby identified part of the wing of a British Lancaster bomberWed, 29 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-picking-berries-in-the-forest-in-poland-might-have-stumbled-upon-the-wreckage-of-an-allied-airplane-from-world-war-ii-180989219/In This Bee Species, Why Do Some Daughters Leave Home While Others Stay 'Bee-hind' to Help Mom?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/Biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute investigated a flexible social bee species, which helps shed light on the evolution of more complex organizational structures among other insectsTue, 28 Jul 2026 23:05:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/This Alligator-Rich Swamp in the American South Just Joined the UNESCO World Heritage List, Along With the Home of the Greek Godshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-alligator-rich-swamp-in-the-american-south-just-joined-the-unesco-world-heritage-list-along-with-the-homes-of-the-greek-gods-180989213/The 25 new locations, determined to bear "outstanding universal value" for the world, also include the D-Day landing site in Normandy, FranceTue, 28 Jul 2026 21:05:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-alligator-rich-swamp-in-the-american-south-just-joined-the-unesco-world-heritage-list-along-with-the-homes-of-the-greek-gods-180989213/Keep an Eye Out for Two Stellar Meteor Showers Peaking This Week, the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornidshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-eye-out-two-stellar-meteor-showers-peak-this-week-southern-delta-aquariids-alpha-capricornids-180989215/A nearly full moon may obscure the fireballs falling from the remains of two comets that passed through Earth's orbitTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:32:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-eye-out-two-stellar-meteor-showers-peak-this-week-southern-delta-aquariids-alpha-capricornids-180989215/This Medieval Byzantine Shipwreck Boasts More Gold Treasures Than Any Other Vessel Found Beneath the Mediterraneanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-byzantine-shipwreck-boasts-more-gold-treasures-than-any-other-vessel-found-beneath-the-mediterranean-180989217/The vessel sank in the Adriatic Sea in the seventh or eighth century C.E. Its cargo included a gold signet ring likely associated with the emperor Heraclius and gold belts encrusted with rubies, emeralds and pearlsTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:07:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-byzantine-shipwreck-boasts-more-gold-treasures-than-any-other-vessel-found-beneath-the-mediterranean-180989217/TSA Officers Found Five Cannonballs Stolen From a Civil War Fort in a Checked Suitcase at an Alabama Airporthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tsa-officers-found-five-cannonballs-stolen-from-a-civil-war-fort-in-a-checked-suitcase-at-an-alabama-airport-180989212/The inert artifacts gave security officers in Gulf Shores a good scare. Investigators say the weapons came from Fort Morgan, which guards Mobile BayTue, 28 Jul 2026 19:42:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tsa-officers-found-five-cannonballs-stolen-from-a-civil-war-fort-in-a-checked-suitcase-at-an-alabama-airport-180989212/See a Rare Ceiling Fresco From Pompeii That Archaeologists Are Carefully Reassembling, Piece by Piece, Like an Ancient Puzzlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/Located in the banquet hall of a home with an adjoining bakery, the fresco shows the mythological romance of Dionysus, the god of revelry and wine, and Ariadne, the Cretan princessTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:19:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/An Endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Named Pancake Makes a Triumphant Return to the Ocean After Months of Rehabilitationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-endangered-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-named-pancake-makes-a-triumphant-return-to-the-ocean-after-months-of-rehabilitation-180989205/The cold-stunned turtle was rescued last fall on Cape Cod and has since made a full recovery. The reptile, whose sex remains unknown, is estimated to be between 2 and 5 years old and weighed 11 pounds at the time of releaseTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-endangered-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-named-pancake-makes-a-triumphant-return-to-the-ocean-after-months-of-rehabilitation-180989205/How Does a Bilingual Speaker's Brain Process Two Languages? New Research Suggests That Both Rely on the Same Neural Wiringhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-does-a-bilingual-speakers-brain-process-two-languages-new-research-suggests-that-both-rely-on-the-same-neural-wiring-180989202/Scientists have long wondered whether different neural mechanisms govern each language within a bilingual speaker’s brain. A recent study of people who speak both English and Spanish hints at a single "grammatical engine"Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:29:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-does-a-bilingual-speakers-brain-process-two-languages-new-research-suggests-that-both-rely-on-the-same-neural-wiring-180989202/French Customs Detained This Marc Chagall Etching for Two Decades After an Attempted Border Crossing. Now It's Headed for Public Displayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/french-customs-detained-this-marc-chagall-etching-for-two-decades-after-an-attempted-border-crossing-now-its-headed-for-public-display-180989204/An acrobat perches on a violin in the absurd scene, which draws on the Russian artist's favored motifsMon, 27 Jul 2026 19:08:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/french-customs-detained-this-marc-chagall-etching-for-two-decades-after-an-attempted-border-crossing-now-its-headed-for-public-display-180989204/Art Sleuths Discovered a Lost and ‘Enormously Important’ Portrait of an Elite Indian Woman by This Pioneering Scottish Painterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/art-sleuths-discovered-a-long-lost-and-enormously-important-portrait-of-an-elite-indian-woman-by-this-pioneering-scottish-painter-180989201/Katherine Read was one of the most fashionable portrait creators in London before she moved to India. She found success portraying women and childrenMon, 27 Jul 2026 17:33:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/art-sleuths-discovered-a-long-lost-and-enormously-important-portrait-of-an-elite-indian-woman-by-this-pioneering-scottish-painter-180989201/A.I. Disproves a Decades-Old Mathematical Idea, the 'Biggest Conjecture' That the Tech Has Played a Role in Yethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-disproves-a-decades-old-mathematical-idea-the-biggest-conjecture-that-the-tech-has-played-a-role-in-yet-180989189/A mathematician announced that he used one of Anthropic's A.I. models to find a counterexample to a problem called the Jacobian conjecture. While experts consider it a milestone, the work raises questions about the future of mathematical researchMon, 27 Jul 2026 17:12:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-disproves-a-decades-old-mathematical-idea-the-biggest-conjecture-that-the-tech-has-played-a-role-in-yet-180989189/Chimpanzees and Bonobos Use Hugs, Kisses and Friendly Pats to Keep the Peace, Just Like Humans, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chimpanzees-and-bonobos-use-hugs-kisses-and-pats-to-keep-the-peace-just-like-humans-a-new-study-suggests-180989192/Since all three ape species diverged from a common ancestor that lived roughly six million to eight million years ago, the findings hint that friendly touching to diffuse tension has deep evolutionary originsMon, 27 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chimpanzees-and-bonobos-use-hugs-kisses-and-pats-to-keep-the-peace-just-like-humans-a-new-study-suggests-180989192/Three Millennia Ago, Humans May Have Spoken Thousands More Languages Than We Have Today, During a Linguistic 'Golden Age'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-millennia-ago-humans-may-have-spoken-thousands-more-languages-than-we-have-today-during-a-linguistic-golden-age-180989197/A new study suggests linguistic diversity reached its peak between 1000 B.C.E. and 1000 C.E. before decliningFri, 24 Jul 2026 21:42:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-millennia-ago-humans-may-have-spoken-thousands-more-languages-than-we-have-today-during-a-linguistic-golden-age-180989197/It's Nature vs. Culture as Europeans Vote on New Designs for Euro Banknotes That Pit Kingfishers Against Leonardo da Vincihttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/its-nature-versus-culture-as-europeans-vote-on-new-designs-for-euro-banknotes-that-pit-kingfishers-against-leonardo-da-vinci-180989193/The European Central Bank released a shortlist of ten potential designs for a new series of printed banknotes, the first complete redesign since the Euro note was issued in 2002.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:41:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/its-nature-versus-culture-as-europeans-vote-on-new-designs-for-euro-banknotes-that-pit-kingfishers-against-leonardo-da-vinci-180989193/This Robot Can Flap Its Wings to Both Fly and Swim. It Might One Day Help Scientists Study Diving Birds and Survey Ocean Habitatshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-robot-can-flap-its-wings-to-both-fly-and-swim-it-might-one-day-help-scientists-study-diving-birds-and-survey-ocean-habitats-180989172/The bioinspired device, which weighs roughly half a pound and measures around three feet wide, was also modeled after aquatic birds like puffins, gulls and loonsFri, 24 Jul 2026 20:28:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-robot-can-flap-its-wings-to-both-fly-and-swim-it-might-one-day-help-scientists-study-diving-birds-and-survey-ocean-habitats-180989172/Hollywood's Iconic Cinerama Dome, One of the World's Most Famous Movie Theaters, Is Set to Reopen in Early 2028https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hollywoods-iconic-cinerama-dome-one-of-the-worlds-most-famous-movie-theatres-is-set-to-reopen-in-early-2028-180989190/Shuttered since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles landmark is being revived as more Americans buy tickets to see movies in theatersFri, 24 Jul 2026 19:24:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hollywoods-iconic-cinerama-dome-one-of-the-worlds-most-famous-movie-theatres-is-set-to-reopen-in-early-2028-180989190/Is This Giant Celestial Body a Moon, a Planet or Something in Between? The Strange Object Calls Astronomical Labels Into Questionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-giant-celestial-body-a-moon-a-planet-or-something-in-between-the-strange-object-calls-astrononomical-labels-into-question-180989183/The newly found object, estimated to be roughly as massive as Jupiter, orbits a brown dwarf—a "failed star"—which in turn circles a small star. For now, researchers are calling the puzzling body an "exosatellite"Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:14:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-giant-celestial-body-a-moon-a-planet-or-something-in-between-the-strange-object-calls-astrononomical-labels-into-question-180989183/Mangroves Are Key to Coastal Ecosystems. See 20 Breathtaking Photos That Reveal How the Trees Support Wildlife and Face Threatshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mangroves-are-key-to-coastal-ecosystems-see-20-breathtaking-photos-that-reveal-how-the-trees-support-wildlife-and-face-threats-180989186/The Mangrove Photography Awards honor images that show off the beauty—and the fragility—of these valuable intertidal forestsFri, 24 Jul 2026 15:23:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mangroves-are-key-to-coastal-ecosystems-see-20-breathtaking-photos-that-reveal-how-the-trees-support-wildlife-and-face-threats-180989186/Students in Florida Discovered a 400-Year-Old Intact Pot That Reveals Conflict Among Indigenous, Spanish and English Powershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/students-in-florida-discovered-a-400-year-old-intact-pot-that-reveals-conflict-among-indigenous-spanish-and-english-powers-180989188/Archaeology students at the University of Florida discovered the rare vessel at the site of the former Mission San Francisco de Potano, established in 1606 when Florida was under Spanish ruleFri, 24 Jul 2026 14:09:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/students-in-florida-discovered-a-400-year-old-intact-pot-that-reveals-conflict-among-indigenous-spanish-and-english-powers-180989188/Why Are These Whales Floating Upside-Down? They Might Just Be Moms Who Need a Break From Feeding Their Babieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-these-whales-floating-upside-down-they-might-just-be-moms-who-need-a-break-from-feeding-their-babies-180989184/Each year, southern right whales migrate thousands of miles from their feeding grounds to breed, give birth and raise their young. Taking rests and regulating their calves' nursing schedules might help mothers conserve energy while they're far from foodFri, 24 Jul 2026 13:39:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-these-whales-floating-upside-down-they-might-just-be-moms-who-need-a-break-from-feeding-their-babies-180989184/Experimental Alzheimer's Drug That Fights a Tough-to-Target Protein Shows Promise at Slowing Cognitive Decline in a Clinical Trialhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experimental-alzheimers-drug-that-fights-a-tough-to-target-protein-shows-promise-at-slowing-cognitive-decline-in-a-clinical-trial-180989177/Recently FDA-approved treatments work to clear clumps of the protein amyloid beta in the brain. A drug that instead goes after tangles of the protein tau can yield similar cognitive outcomes, a new study suggestsThu, 23 Jul 2026 19:32:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experimental-alzheimers-drug-that-fights-a-tough-to-target-protein-shows-promise-at-slowing-cognitive-decline-in-a-clinical-trial-180989177/Months After Burglars Stole Crown Jewels From the Louvre, the Apollo Gallery Reopens, Highlighting Its Origins as a Royal Reception Hallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/months-after-burglars-stole-crown-jewels-from-the-louvre-the-apollo-gallery-reopens-highlighting-its-origins-as-a-royal-reception-hall-180989182/Museum officials hope visitors will appreciate the gilded hall, conceived by Louis XIV more than 360 years ago, for its history and ornamentation, even without the crown jewelsThu, 23 Jul 2026 19:14:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/months-after-burglars-stole-crown-jewels-from-the-louvre-the-apollo-gallery-reopens-highlighting-its-origins-as-a-royal-reception-hall-180989182/Wacky, Mysterious Paintings by This Surrealist Still Influence Contemporary Artists. An Exhibition in London Will Explore the Legacy of René Magrittehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wacky-mysterious-paintings-by-this-surrealist-still-influence-contemporary-artists-an-exhibition-in-london-will-explore-the-legacy-of-rene-magritte-180989181/The Belgian Surrealist was famous for his playful subversion, like when he created a painting of a pipe and then defiantly declared it wasn’t a pipe, after allThu, 23 Jul 2026 17:34:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wacky-mysterious-paintings-by-this-surrealist-still-influence-contemporary-artists-an-exhibition-in-london-will-explore-the-legacy-of-rene-magritte-180989181/Hunter-Gatherers Brought Trout to a Norwegian Mountain Lake 7,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Known Example of Humans Translocating Fishhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/Researchers have long known that the animals were introduced into the region's high-altitude bodies of water, but they weren't sure when it happened or whether humans had a hand. Analyses of recently discovered ancient fish traps provide new cluesThu, 23 Jul 2026 15:42:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/Would You Chat With an A.I. 'Ghost' of a Deceased Loved One? New Research Suggests That the Tech Can Provide Comfort and Closurehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-chat-with-an-ai-ghost-of-a-deceased-loved-one-new-research-suggests-that-the-tech-can-provide-comfort-and-closure-180989176/Commercial "griefbots" are becoming more popular, and many experts have questions about their psychological and ethical impacts. A new study aims to ensure that the bots are designed responsiblyThu, 23 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-chat-with-an-ai-ghost-of-a-deceased-loved-one-new-research-suggests-that-the-tech-can-provide-comfort-and-closure-180989176/Their Names Were Lost to History. But Now, You Can See What Their Faces May Have Looked Like When They Lived in a Roman-Era City Nearly 2,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/their-names-were-lost-to-history-but-now-you-can-see-what-their-faces-may-have-looked-like-when-they-lived-in-a-roman-era-city-nearly-2000-years-ago-180989179/A new exhibition in Budapest features 16 facial reconstructions based on skulls excavated from the ancient city of Aquincum. Curators don't know the details of their lives, but they've invented backstories to fill in the gapsThu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/their-names-were-lost-to-history-but-now-you-can-see-what-their-faces-may-have-looked-like-when-they-lived-in-a-roman-era-city-nearly-2000-years-ago-180989179/Video Captures Orcas Ramming a Sunfish So Hard It Explodes. The Mysterious Behavior Might Be a Form of Play or Juvenile Carehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/video-captures-orcas-ramming-a-sunfish-so-hard-it-explodes-the-mysterious-behavior-might-be-a-form-of-play-or-juvenile-care-180989153/In two incidents documented in Mexico’s Gulf of California, orcas worked together to blast sunfish into smithereens after they had killed the enormous animalsThu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/video-captures-orcas-ramming-a-sunfish-so-hard-it-explodes-the-mysterious-behavior-might-be-a-form-of-play-or-juvenile-care-180989153/Aboriginal Spiritual Leaders Performed ‘Magic, Healing, Cursing’ Rituals in This Australian Cave for 25,000 Years, New Research Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aboriginal-spiritual-leaders-performed-magic-healing-cursing-rituals-in-this-australian-cave-for-25000-years-new-research-finds-180989178/Archaeologists collaborated with members of the GunaiKurnai Aboriginal community to explore layers of ash from burned grasses dating back thousands of years inside Cloggs CaveWed, 22 Jul 2026 21:25:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aboriginal-spiritual-leaders-performed-magic-healing-cursing-rituals-in-this-australian-cave-for-25000-years-new-research-finds-180989178/Kids Can Try Out the 'Oliver Twist' Lifestyle at This English Museum Revealing Conditions for Poor People in a Victorian Workhousehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kids-can-try-out-the-oliver-twist-lifestyle-at-this-english-museum-revealing-conditions-for-poor-people-in-a-victorian-workhouse-180989175/After a restoration, the Ripon Workhouse Museum reopened to the public, showcasing the sights, sounds and rules of England’s 19th-century “solution to poverty”Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:10:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kids-can-try-out-the-oliver-twist-lifestyle-at-this-english-museum-revealing-conditions-for-poor-people-in-a-victorian-workhouse-180989175/A SpaceX Rocket Part Is Expected to Smack Into the Moon in August, Highlighting the Growing Problem of Space Junkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/A-spacex-rocket-part-is-expected-to-smack-into-the-moon-in-august-highlighting-the-growing-problem-of-space-junk-180989173/The unintended event also creates an opportunity for scientists and skywatchers to witness lunar impact dynamics in real time, although the debris will hit a sunlit portion of the moon from the perspective of Earth, making it hard to seeWed, 22 Jul 2026 19:44:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/A-spacex-rocket-part-is-expected-to-smack-into-the-moon-in-august-highlighting-the-growing-problem-of-space-junk-180989173/This Letter Penned on the ‘Titanic’ Days Before It Sank Shares the Perspective of the Ship's Second-Class Passengershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-letter-penned-on-the-titanic-days-before-it-sank-shares-the-perspective-of-the-ships-second-class-passengers-180989174/The letter, now up for auction, describes good weather and bustling activity as the "Titanic" prepared to set off across the Atlantic OceanWed, 22 Jul 2026 17:59:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-letter-penned-on-the-titanic-days-before-it-sank-shares-the-perspective-of-the-ships-second-class-passengers-180989174/People Aren't Born as Righties or Lefties—They Develop Hand Dominance With Practice, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-arent-born-with-as-righties-or-lefties-they-develop-hand-dominance-with-practice-a-new-study-suggests-180989168/Humans do have a biological preference for using one side of their body, which might prime them for using limbs on that side for complex motor tasks like writing—and honing those skills over timeWed, 22 Jul 2026 16:59:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-arent-born-with-as-righties-or-lefties-they-develop-hand-dominance-with-practice-a-new-study-suggests-180989168/This 1950s Airplane Disaster Prompted the Flight Safety Demonstrations Passengers Know Today. Searchers Just Found the Wreckage in the Atlantic Oceanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-1950s-airplane-disaster-prompted-the-flight-safety-demonstrations-passengers-know-today-seachers-just-found-the-wreckage-in-the-atlantic-ocean-180989170/A team of explorers used an autonomous underwater vehicle to locate the remains of the Pan American ‘Clipper Endeavor’ about five miles off the coast of Puerto RicoWed, 22 Jul 2026 15:02:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-1950s-airplane-disaster-prompted-the-flight-safety-demonstrations-passengers-know-today-seachers-just-found-the-wreckage-in-the-atlantic-ocean-180989170/Double Puggles: See the Adorable 'Twin' Echidnas Born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Parkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/double-puggles-see-the-adorable-twin-echidnas-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-180989165/The two babies hatched this year to one mother during the same breeding season—an extremely rare occurrence, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceWed, 22 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/double-puggles-see-the-adorable-twin-echidnas-born-at-the-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-180989165/A New World Record in the Greased Pole Walk Brought Extra Excitement to This Year's World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in Alaskahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-world-record-in-the-greased-pole-walk-brought-extra-excitement-to-this-years-world-eskimo-indian-olumpics-in-alaska-180989164/A 45-year-old record fell at the annual sporting event, which celebrates Indigenous athleticism and culture with events including the knuckle hop and the Alaskan high kickWed, 22 Jul 2026 13:42:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-world-record-in-the-greased-pole-walk-brought-extra-excitement-to-this-years-world-eskimo-indian-olumpics-in-alaska-180989164/British Intelligence Turned This Mansion Into a Bugged Spy Trap for Nazi Prisoners of War During World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/british-intelligence-turned-this-mansion-into-a-bugged-spy-trap-for-nazi-prisoners-of-war-during-world-war-ii-180989166/Visitors can now tour the house, where German generals relaxed and gabbed upstairs while Jewish refugees working as spies and translators for the British government listened in from the basementWed, 22 Jul 2026 00:59:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/british-intelligence-turned-this-mansion-into-a-bugged-spy-trap-for-nazi-prisoners-of-war-during-world-war-ii-180989166/A Volunteer Stumbled Upon a Strange Document in the U.K. National Archives. It Turned Out to Be a Rare Copy of the Declaration of Independence Printed in July 1776https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-volunteer-stumbled-upon-a-strange-document-in-the-uk-national-archives-it-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-copy-of-the-declaration-of-independence-printed-in-july-1776-180989169/Michael Scurr, a retired insurance broker, found the text while cataloging boxes of 18th-century correspondence housed at the London archives. It's the only known copy of its kind outside the United StatesTue, 21 Jul 2026 19:23:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-volunteer-stumbled-upon-a-strange-document-in-the-uk-national-archives-it-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-copy-of-the-declaration-of-independence-printed-in-july-1776-180989169/Naked Mole-Rat Queens Emit a Special Scent to Stop Their Rivals From Reproducing, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/naked-mole-rat-queens-emit-a-special-scent-to-stop-their-rivals-from-reproducing-a-new-study-suggests-180989148/The strange-looking creatures are one of two known mammals that use a social structure like that of bees and ants. A ruling rodent maintains power over her colony via one key chemical compound, according to new researchTue, 21 Jul 2026 19:14:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/naked-mole-rat-queens-emit-a-special-scent-to-stop-their-rivals-from-reproducing-a-new-study-suggests-180989148/Could Life Exist on This Nearby World? In a First, Astronomers Find an Atmosphere on an Earth-Like Exoplanet in the Habitable Zonehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-life-exist-on-this-nearby-world-in-a-first-astronomers-find-an-atmosphere-on-an-earth-like-exoplanet-in-the-habitable-zone-180989149/While the celestial body seems to host three features that could make a livable environment—an atmosphere, a rocky composition and a temperature that could allow liquid water to sit on the surface—researchers have not currently detected any residentsTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:23:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-life-exist-on-this-nearby-world-in-a-first-astronomers-find-an-atmosphere-on-an-earth-like-exoplanet-in-the-habitable-zone-180989149/An Amateur Astronomer Using Google Maps Spotted a Strange Indentation. It Turned Out to Be a Meteorite Crater From 390 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-amateur-astronomer-using-google-maps-spotted-a-strange-indentation-it-turned-out-to-be-a-meteorite-crater-from-390-million-years-ago-180989158/Scientists confirmed the astronomer’s suspicions with an expedition to the site in Quebec. The discovery offers a rare case of a reported new crater turning out to be realTue, 21 Jul 2026 12:58:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-amateur-astronomer-using-google-maps-spotted-a-strange-indentation-it-turned-out-to-be-a-meteorite-crater-from-390-million-years-ago-180989158/The Tower of London Plans to Turn Its Moat Into a ‘Green Classroom’ and Show Off Its Architecture Archives in a Major Renovationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tower-of-london-plans-to-turn-its-moat-into-a-green-classroom-and-show-off-its-architecture-archive-in-a-major-renovation-180989161/The landmark, nearly a millennium old, has housed kings, hosted royal executions and safeguarded Britain's crown jewels. New education centers aim to invite more people to learn about that historyMon, 20 Jul 2026 21:36:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tower-of-london-plans-to-turn-its-moat-into-a-green-classroom-and-show-off-its-architecture-archive-in-a-major-renovation-180989161/An Unusual-Looking Raccoon Nicknamed Jimothy Is Winning Hearts Across the Internet for His Short, Round Bodyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-unusual-looking-raccoon-nicknamed-jimothy-is-winning-hearts-across-the-internet-for-his-short-round-body-180989157/Jimothy has become a local celebrity in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood and likely has a rare congenital spine conditionMon, 20 Jul 2026 20:11:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-unusual-looking-raccoon-nicknamed-jimothy-is-winning-hearts-across-the-internet-for-his-short-round-body-180989157/A Man With Paralysis Has Regained Feeling and Movement in His Hands After an Experimental Brain Implanthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-with-paralysis-has-regained-feeling-and-movement-in-his-hands-after-an-experimental-brain-implant-180989156/After months of training, the patient can now move his arms and hands and feel the sensation of touchMon, 20 Jul 2026 19:35:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-with-paralysis-has-regained-feeling-and-movement-in-his-hands-after-an-experimental-brain-implant-180989156/New Women's Pro Baseball League Teams Are Named for These Pioneering American Women, Giving Female Players Another League of Their Ownhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-womens-pro-baseball-league-teams-are-named-for-these-pioneering-women-giving-female-players-another-league-of-their-own-180989159/The Firebells, Heights, Queens and Hunters—of San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Boston—were inspired by an honorary firefighter, a civil rights activist, a first basewoman and a physicianMon, 20 Jul 2026 19:34:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-womens-pro-baseball-league-teams-are-named-for-these-pioneering-women-giving-female-players-another-league-of-their-own-180989159/Railway Construction Reveals a Coin Minted by a Roman Officer Who Proclaimed Himself 'Emperor of the North' in Britain 1,700 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/railway-construction-reveals-coin-minted-by-roman-officer-who-proclaimed-himself-emperor-of-the-north-in-britain-1700-years-ago-180989160/Archaeologists in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire unearthed a silver denarius bearing the name of Carausius, who ruled the breakaway state of Britannia between 286 and 293Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:49:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/railway-construction-reveals-coin-minted-by-roman-officer-who-proclaimed-himself-emperor-of-the-north-in-britain-1700-years-ago-180989160/For the First Time in 27 Years, a Man Set a New World Record for Fastest Mile. People Have Chased the Goal for Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-in-27-years-a-man-set-a-new-world-record-for-fastest-mile-people-have-chased-the-goal-for-centuries-180989154/British runners in particular have long tried to cross the finish line in less than 4 minutes, records show, sometimes running in the nude or trying to win a betMon, 20 Jul 2026 18:04:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-in-27-years-a-man-set-a-new-world-record-for-fastest-mile-people-have-chased-the-goal-for-centuries-180989154/Thousands of Kidnapped Africans Died on an Island in the Atlantic After Being Rescued From Slave Ships. Evidence in Their Teeth Traces Their Journeyshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-kidnapped-africans-died-on-an-island-in-the-atlantic-after-being-rescued-from-slave-ships-evidence-in-their-teeth-traces-their-journeys-180989145/Remains in the graves of St. Helena, where the British military housed "liberated" enslaved Africans, contain isotopes from inland Angola and ZimbabweMon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-kidnapped-africans-died-on-an-island-in-the-atlantic-after-being-rescued-from-slave-ships-evidence-in-their-teeth-traces-their-journeys-180989145/Koalas Are at Risk of Extinction in Some Parts of Australia. Can Freezing Their Sperm and Eggs Help Save the Iconic Marsupials?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/koalas-are-at-risk-of-extinction-in-some-parts-of-australia-can-freezing-their-sperm-and-eggs-help-save-the-iconic-marsupials-180989147/Scientists are preserving the animals' reproductive cells in liquid nitrogen in a bid to boost genetic diversity in future populationsMon, 20 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/koalas-are-at-risk-of-extinction-in-some-parts-of-australia-can-freezing-their-sperm-and-eggs-help-save-the-iconic-marsupials-180989147/Poop From Southern Right Whales Reveals That the Animals Might Be More Resilient to Climate Change Than We Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poop-from-southern-right-whales-reveals-that-the-animals-might-be-more-resilient-to-climate-change-than-we-thought-180989131/Scientists long believed that these whales, which swim throughout the Southern Hemisphere, mainly feasted on krill and small crustaceans called copepods, which are disappearing from the warming ocean. A new study suggests that the cetaceans have a more varied, flexible dietMon, 20 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poop-from-southern-right-whales-reveals-that-the-animals-might-be-more-resilient-to-climate-change-than-we-thought-180989131/Did These Ancient Egyptian Princesses Wield Weapons and Train in Martial Arts, Just Like the Men of Their Time?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-ancient-egyptian-princesses-wield-weapons-and-train-in-martial-arts-just-like-the-men-of-their-time-180989151/A new analysis of their bones suggests they were buried alongside arrows, maces and daggers because they had repeatedly used those weapons in lifeMon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-ancient-egyptian-princesses-wield-weapons-and-train-in-martial-arts-just-like-the-men-of-their-time-180989151/Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber and Severed Hand From Famed Darth Vader Duel Sold For a Record $3.75 Million at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/luke-skywalkers-lightsaber-and-severed-hand-from-famed-darth-vader-duel-sold-for-a-record-more-than-3-million-at-auction-180989144/The item, which became the most-valued on-screen Star Wars prop ever sold at auction, was born from cast-off parts from a camera shopFri, 17 Jul 2026 21:11:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/luke-skywalkers-lightsaber-and-severed-hand-from-famed-darth-vader-duel-sold-for-a-record-more-than-3-million-at-auction-180989144/New Close-Up Images Reveal the Wreckage of Ernest Shackleton's Last Ship, Now Draped in Discarded Fishing Gear and Teeming With Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-close-up-images-reveal-the-wreckage-of-ernest-shackletons-last-ship-now-draped-in-discarded-fishing-gear-and-teeming-with-life-180989139/The vessel "Quest," found in 2024 off the coast of northeastern Canada, has become a home for corals, anemones and fish. It also holds the leftovers from decades of commercial fishing that happened above it after it sankFri, 17 Jul 2026 16:26:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-close-up-images-reveal-the-wreckage-of-ernest-shackletons-last-ship-now-draped-in-discarded-fishing-gear-and-teeming-with-life-180989139/Meet the Orange-Lipped 'Likweli' Monkey, a New Species That Was Discovered in the Congo Rainforesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/The creatures, which weigh about the same as a small dog, have spiky black hair, orange-cream skin around their mouths and a white patch on their rear ends. Scientists say that they're probably endangeredFri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/These 16 Splendid Aerial Views Capture Wildlife From Above, Revealing the Beauty and Mystery of Naturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/The second International Aerial Photographer of the Year contest selected its winners and 101 top images. Here’s a selection of the photos that spotlight animals from a new perspectiveFri, 17 Jul 2026 13:36:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/When a Cat Licks Another Cat, It's Not Always a Friendly Gesture. New Study Reveals They May Just Want Their Own Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-a-cat-licks-another-cat-its-not-always-friendly-new-study-reveals-180989136/Classic feline behavior could be a passive-aggressive maneuver to get what they wantFri, 17 Jul 2026 12:59:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-a-cat-licks-another-cat-its-not-always-friendly-new-study-reveals-180989136/Buzz Aldrin Used This Humble Felt-Tip Pen to Save the Apollo II Astronauts. It Just Sold for More Than $850,000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buzz-aldrin-used-this-humble-felt-tip-pen-to-save-the-apollo-ii-astronauts-it-just-sold-for-more-than-850000-180989142/In July 1969, a quick-thinking Aldrin used the writing instrument to rearm the engine arm circuit of the lunar module "Eagle" after the switch broke off during the moon landingThu, 16 Jul 2026 21:22:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buzz-aldrin-used-this-humble-felt-tip-pen-to-save-the-apollo-ii-astronauts-it-just-sold-for-more-than-850000-180989142/This Viking Longship Crossed the Atlantic Before Starring in Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' as Odysseus' Greek Galleyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thisviking-longship-crossed-the-atlantic-before-starring-in-christopher-nolans-odyssey-as-odysseus-greek-galley-180989137/Hollywood stars including Matt Damon went to rowing camp to learn how to operate the vessel for the new filmThu, 16 Jul 2026 20:27:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thisviking-longship-crossed-the-atlantic-before-starring-in-christopher-nolans-odyssey-as-odysseus-greek-galley-180989137/This Meteorite Crashed Into a New Jersey Home in 2024. Now, Scientists Say It Contains Some of the Building Blocks of Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-meteorite-crashed-into-a-new-jersey-home-in-2024-now-scientists-say-it-contains-some-of-the-building-blocks-of-life-180989138/The Hillsborough meteorite belongs to a rare class of rocks from space, according to a new study. It holds amino acids and other organic compounds, as well as evidence of salty waterThu, 16 Jul 2026 20:04:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-meteorite-crashed-into-a-new-jersey-home-in-2024-now-scientists-say-it-contains-some-of-the-building-blocks-of-life-180989138/Buckingham Palace's Royal Picture Gallery Revives the Salon-Style Hang, Doubling the Number of Masterpieces on Viewhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buckingham-palaces-royal-picture-gallery-revives-the-salon-style-hang-doubling-the-number-of-masterpieces-on-view-180989135/Charles III reportedly had a say in the stylistic switch, which rearranged and added artworks by the likes of Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and Van DyckThu, 16 Jul 2026 18:13:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/buckingham-palaces-royal-picture-gallery-revives-the-salon-style-hang-doubling-the-number-of-masterpieces-on-view-180989135/Smartphones Might Be Playing a Role in the United States' Declining Birth Rate, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/Some economists suspect that the technology's widespread adoption has reduced in-person interactions and increased access to pornography and information on birth control, leading to less unprotected sexThu, 16 Jul 2026 16:05:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/Man Sentenced for Stealing 'Rare and Unique' Chinese Texts, Valued at More Than $200,000, by Using Aliases, Fake IDs and Dummy Manuscriptshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-sentenced-for-stealing-rare-and-unique-chinese-texts-valued-at-more-than-200000-by-using-aliases-fake-ids-and-dummy-manuscripts-180989134/The works were stolen from the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of several yearsThu, 16 Jul 2026 15:18:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-sentenced-for-stealing-rare-and-unique-chinese-texts-valued-at-more-than-200000-by-using-aliases-fake-ids-and-dummy-manuscripts-180989134/Giraffes Might Be Even Smarter Than We Thought. Some Can Solve Simple Math Problems, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/Two of four tested giraffes seemed to be able to mentally combine numbers to get one of their favorite treats: carrots. But all the animals failed at tasks involving subtraction or multiple calculationsThu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/Once the World’s Biggest Passenger Ship, This Metal Marvel That Crossed the Atlantic and Took Immigrants to Australia Has a New Museum Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/once-the-worlds-biggest-passenger-ship-this-metal-marvel-the-ss-great-britain-that-crossed-the-atlantic-and-took-immigrants-to-australia-has-a-new-museum-home-180989130/A new museum dedicated to stories surrounding the S.S. "Great Britain" is about to open in Bristol, where the ship is permanently dry-dockedWed, 15 Jul 2026 20:34:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/once-the-worlds-biggest-passenger-ship-this-metal-marvel-the-ss-great-britain-that-crossed-the-atlantic-and-took-immigrants-to-australia-has-a-new-museum-home-180989130/Scientists Ranked Hundreds of Spider Species by Running Speed. Australia's Huge, Hairy Brown Huntsman Came Out on Tophttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-ranked-hundreds-of-spider-species-by-running-speed-australias-huge-hairy-brown-huntsman-came-out-on-top-180989132/The brown huntsman can sprint at a maximum speed of eight miles per hour, although it can only maintain that pace for a fraction of a second. The research will lead to a better understanding of the evolution and biomechanics of arachnidsWed, 15 Jul 2026 20:02:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-ranked-hundreds-of-spider-species-by-running-speed-australias-huge-hairy-brown-huntsman-came-out-on-top-180989132/Astronomers Noticed a Mysterious Spot Appearing in Telescope Images. It Turned Out to Be the Faintest Exoplanet Ever Imaged From Earthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/The gas giant, called Beta Pictoris d, had been hiding in plain sight for more than a decade, until two independent teams verified its existenceWed, 15 Jul 2026 19:40:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/A.I. Music Is Already Here. To Protect Human Artists, the Record Industry Proposes New Labels, Like Those for Explicit Lyricshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-music-is-already-here-to-protect-human-artists-the-record-industry-proposes-labels-for-it-like-those-for-explicit-lyrics-180989128/The proposal comes as A.I.-generated music makes up an increasing share of what’s available on streaming platformsWed, 15 Jul 2026 18:47:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-music-is-already-here-to-protect-human-artists-the-record-industry-proposes-labels-for-it-like-those-for-explicit-lyrics-180989128/Ancient Egyptians Believed That These Newly Discovered Gold Tongues Allowed the Dead to Communicate in the Afterlifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-believed-that-these-newly-discovered-gold-tongues-allowed-the-dead-to-communicate-in-the-afterlife-180989127/Excavations at Marina el-Alamein, an archaeological site west of Alexandria, unearthed about two dozen of the rare artifacts, including one shaped like the Eye of HorusWed, 15 Jul 2026 17:31:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-believed-that-these-newly-discovered-gold-tongues-allowed-the-dead-to-communicate-in-the-afterlife-180989127/In a First, Scientists Witness the Seafloor Spread in Real Time, Giving Them a Rare Glimpse at a Mysterious Geologic Processhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-scientists-witness-the-seafloor-spread-in-real-time-giving-them-a-rare-glimpse-at-a-mysterious-geologic-process-180989123/Across a matter of days in 2024, the seafloor in part of the Indian Ocean dropped by about 13 feet, and roughly 5.7 billion cubic feet of molten rock rose to the crust's surface, according to a new studyWed, 15 Jul 2026 16:02:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-scientists-witness-the-seafloor-spread-in-real-time-giving-them-a-rare-glimpse-at-a-mysterious-geologic-process-180989123/In a First, Astronomers Find Sugar in the Space Between Stars, Providing New Clues About the Origins of Life on Earthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-find-sugar-in-the-space-between-stars-providing-new-clues-about-the-origins-of-life-on-earth-180989122/Sugars are crucial components of RNA and DNA, the basis of all known organisms alive today. In a new study, the sugar erythrulose was detected in a gas- and dust-filled cloud near the center of our Milky Way galaxyWed, 15 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-find-sugar-in-the-space-between-stars-providing-new-clues-about-the-origins-of-life-on-earth-180989122/This T. Rex Fossil Could Fetch the Largest Sum of Any Dinosaur Ever Auctioned. Scientists Worry They'll Lose the Chance to Study Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-t-rex-fossil-could-fetch-the-largest-sum-of-any-dinosaur-ever-auctioned-scientists-worry-theyll-lose-the-chance-to-study-it-180989114/Bids on "Gus" will start at $19 million, a steep price for public institutions. Specimens in private collections can be harder for researchers to examine, and they're practically impossible to include in studies in top-tier scientific journalsMon, 13 Jul 2026 20:13:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-t-rex-fossil-could-fetch-the-largest-sum-of-any-dinosaur-ever-auctioned-scientists-worry-theyll-lose-the-chance-to-study-it-180989114/Meet Sak Tahn Waax, a Maya Math Whiz Who Lived More Than 1,000 Years Ago and Left Behind a ‘Really Elegant, Complex’ Formulahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/For the first time, archaeologists identified one of the culture’s famed Classic era mathematicians and astronomersWed, 15 Jul 2026 13:03:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/An English King's Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lothttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/Alfred the Great defended Wessex from the Vikings. Researchers have been searching for his remains for years after their resting place in an abbey was disturbedTue, 14 Jul 2026 20:37:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/Here's How These Adorable Mice Can Live at an Extremely High Elevation Where No Other Mammal Is Known to Residehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-how-these-adorable-mice-can-live-at-an-extremely-high-elevation-where-no-other-mammal-is-known-to-survive-180989116/The Andean leaf-eared mouse has adaptations that help it generate body heat efficiently in frigid, low-oxygen conditions at 22,000 feet above sea level, according to a new studyTue, 14 Jul 2026 18:45:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-how-these-adorable-mice-can-live-at-an-extremely-high-elevation-where-no-other-mammal-is-known-to-survive-180989116/This 700-Year-Old English Church Nearly Closed—but Then the Vicar Discovered a Stash of Gold Coins Under the Altarhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-700-year-old-english-church-nearly-closed-but-then-the-vicar-discovered-a-stash-of-gold-coins-under-the-altar-180989120/Just before Easter, a box of gold bullion minted in the 1990s changed the outlook for a tiny congregation struggling to cover costly repairsTue, 14 Jul 2026 18:26:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-700-year-old-english-church-nearly-closed-but-then-the-vicar-discovered-a-stash-of-gold-coins-under-the-altar-180989120/How Has Roman Concrete Lasted for Millennia? A 1,900-Year-Old Latrine Offers New Clues About the Material's Impressive Durabilityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-has-roman-concrete-lasted-for-millennia-a-1900-year-old-latrine-offers-new-clues-about-the-materials-impressive-durability-180989115/A chemical process called carbonation, which helps seal cracks, could help explain why many ancient Roman structures are still standing today. Researchers hope that the insights will lead to better modern-day building materialsTue, 14 Jul 2026 15:54:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-has-roman-concrete-lasted-for-millennia-a-1900-year-old-latrine-offers-new-clues-about-the-materials-impressive-durability-180989115/Meet the Earliest Known 'Right-Handed' Animal, a Worm-Like Creature That Lived About 550 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-first-right-handed-animal-a-worm-like-creature-that-lived-about-550-million-years-ago-180989107/During the Ediacaran period, the critter wriggled around on the ocean floor of what’s now South Australia and preferred to turn right, a fossil analysis suggestsTue, 14 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-first-right-handed-animal-a-worm-like-creature-that-lived-about-550-million-years-ago-180989107/Ancient Romans Put Their Faith in Guardian Spirits. Archaeologists Just Found a Rare 1,600-Year-Old Carving of One in Northern Englandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-put-their-faith-in-guardian-spirits-archaeologists-just-found-a-rare-1600-year-old-carving-of-one-in-northern-england-180989118/Known as a “genius,” the protective spirit or deity was believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to a particular person, household or place. Archaeologists haven't found many depictions of them across Roman BritainTue, 14 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-put-their-faith-in-guardian-spirits-archaeologists-just-found-a-rare-1600-year-old-carving-of-one-in-northern-england-180989118/Thomas Jefferson’s Original Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence Can Now Be Seen at the Library of Congresshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thomas-jeffersons-original-rough-draft-of-the-declaration-of-independence-can-be-seen-at-library-of-congress-180989113/The new exhibition, which shows how the document was edited, also features an early copy of the Gettysburg AddressTue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thomas-jeffersons-original-rough-draft-of-the-declaration-of-independence-can-be-seen-at-library-of-congress-180989113/The Largest Operating Steam Locomotive in the World Weighs 1.2 Million Pounds. Now, the Historic Train May Be Coming to Your Townhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-largest-operating-steam-locomotive-in-the-world-weighs-1-2-million-pounds-now-the-historic-train-may-be-coming-to-your-town-180989112/Built in the 1940s, Big Boy No. 4014 retired in 1961 after traveling for more than one million miles. It's now making its way across the country in honor of America's 250th birthdayMon, 13 Jul 2026 17:26:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-largest-operating-steam-locomotive-in-the-world-weighs-1-2-million-pounds-now-the-historic-train-may-be-coming-to-your-town-180989112/Cancer Cases Are Expected to Nearly Double by 2050, Warns the WHO. Low-Income Countries Will Be Disproportionately Affectedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-cases-are-expected-to-nearly-double-by-2050-warns-the-who-low-income-countries-will-be-disproportionately-affected-180989102/In a new report, the World Health Organization predicts that new annual diagnoses will rise from about 20.6 million today to almost 35 million by 2050. The biggest increases will be in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean regionMon, 13 Jul 2026 15:44:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-cases-are-expected-to-nearly-double-by-2050-warns-the-who-low-income-countries-will-be-disproportionately-affected-180989102/Nearly 150 Gray Whales Have Been Found Dead Along North America's Pacific Shore This Year, Prompting Scientists to Sound the Alarmhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-150-gray-whales-have-been-found-dead-along-north-americas-pacific-shore-this-year-prompting-scientists-to-sound-the-alarm-180989109/The population of eastern gray whales, which migrate annually along the West Coast between the Arctic and Mexico, has been declining in recent years. Conservationists say 2026 could be one of the deadliest years on record for the marine mammalsMon, 13 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-150-gray-whales-have-been-found-dead-along-north-americas-pacific-shore-this-year-prompting-scientists-to-sound-the-alarm-180989109/How Did Two Wolves End Up on This Remote Island Thousands of Years Ago? Researchers Think Humans Brought Them There, Then Cared for Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-two-wolves-end-up-on-this-remote-island-thousands-of-years-ago-researchers-think-humans-brought-them-there-then-cared-for-them-180989110/The discovery suggests humans may have maintained relationships with wolves long after domesticated dogs came on the sceneMon, 13 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-two-wolves-end-up-on-this-remote-island-thousands-of-years-ago-researchers-think-humans-brought-them-there-then-cared-for-them-180989110/See Artifacts That Archaeologists Discovered in This 1,600-Year-Old Byzantine Christian Town Buried in an Oasis in Egypthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-artifacts-that-archaeologists-discovered-in-this-1600-year-old-byzantine-christian-town-buried-in-an-oasis-in-egypt-180989106/The mud-brick village boasts streets, towers and a large church. Researchers unearthed everyday objects like grain grinders, an oven and some 200 ostraca—ancient receipts and notes written on broken potteryFri, 10 Jul 2026 20:07:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-artifacts-that-archaeologists-discovered-in-this-1600-year-old-byzantine-christian-town-buried-in-an-oasis-in-egypt-180989106/Cases of a Parasitic Infection That Can Cause Diarrhea for Weeks Are Rapidly Rising in the U.S. Here's What to Knowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/The illness is caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads via food or water contaminated with feces, usually on farms. Health officials are still investigating the source of the multistate outbreakFri, 10 Jul 2026 19:26:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/In the Latest Brazen Heist, Jewelry and Artworks Worth $5 Million Were Stolen From a Famed French Designer's Museumhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-latest-brazen-heist-jewelry-and-artworks-worth-5-million-were-stolen-from-famed-french-designer-lalique-museum-180989105/A trio of burglars stole 27 pieces, including a dragonfly pendant, from the Lalique Museum in eastern FranceFri, 10 Jul 2026 17:57:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-latest-brazen-heist-jewelry-and-artworks-worth-5-million-were-stolen-from-famed-french-designer-lalique-museum-180989105/Bumblebees Seem to 'Lick Their Lips' After Sweet Treats and Shake Their Heads at Bad Tastes, Hinting at the Insects' Inner Liveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-seem-to-lick-their-lips-after-sweet-treats-and-shake-their-heads-at-bad-tastes-hinting-at-the-insects-inner-lives-180989098/Slow-motion videos suggest that the insects display distinct behaviors when they like or dislike a snack. The findings might offer a new way to study their emotion-like statesFri, 10 Jul 2026 15:45:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-seem-to-lick-their-lips-after-sweet-treats-and-shake-their-heads-at-bad-tastes-hinting-at-the-insects-inner-lives-180989098/Roughly 100,000 Years Ago, This Man Got Stabbed in the Face—and Survived. He's Likely One of the First Known Victims of an Attack With a Sharp Weaponhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/Researchers who investigated the remains of a young adult male found in the Qafzeh cave say the injury healed over time, which means the victim's community may have tended to himFri, 10 Jul 2026 13:53:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/The Culprit Behind South Australia's Deadly Algal Bloom Might Be the Most Toxic Species Ever Tested, Scientists Sayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-culprit-behind-south-australias-deadly-algal-bloom-might-be-the-most-toxic-species-ever-tested-scientists-say-180989100/Karenia cristata, a rare type of microscopic algae that produces toxins that harm nerve cells, can be lethal at very low concentrationsFri, 10 Jul 2026 12:46:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-culprit-behind-south-australias-deadly-algal-bloom-might-be-the-most-toxic-species-ever-tested-scientists-say-180989100/Are Moose Colorado Natives or Introduced Outsiders? New Research Suggests That the Animals Have Lived in the State for Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-moose-colorado-natives-or-introduced-outsiders-new-research-suggests-that-the-animals-have-lived-in-the-state-for-centuries-180989091/Officials say moose weren't established in the state until they were brought there in the late 1970s. But historical documentation and archaeological evidence indicate that they resided there long before thatThu, 09 Jul 2026 20:15:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-moose-colorado-natives-or-introduced-outsiders-new-research-suggests-that-the-animals-have-lived-in-the-state-for-centuries-180989091/Country Music Legend Dolly Parton's Autobiographical Musical Exploring Her Journey From East Tennessee Will Hit Broadway This Winterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/country-music-legend-dolly-partons-autobiographical-musical-exploring-her-journey-from-east-tennessee-will-hit-broadway-this-winter-180989099/"Dolly: A True Original Musical" premiered last year in Nashville in Parton's home stateThu, 09 Jul 2026 19:27:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/country-music-legend-dolly-partons-autobiographical-musical-exploring-her-journey-from-east-tennessee-will-hit-broadway-this-winter-180989099/Could We Mitigate Super El Niños by Artificially Changing the Climate? A New Study Indicates Yeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-we-mitigate-super-el-ninos-by-artificially-changing-the-climate-a-new-study-indicates-yes-180989101/Researchers used computer models to see what would have happened had scientists caused marine cloud brightening in the face of strong past El NiñosThu, 09 Jul 2026 18:17:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-we-mitigate-super-el-ninos-by-artificially-changing-the-climate-a-new-study-indicates-yes-180989101/Why Did This Dutch Museum Cover the Floor With an 800-Pound Installation of Creamy Peanut Butter?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-this-dutch-museum-cover-the-floor-with-an-800-pound-installation-of-creamy-peanut-butter-180989097/"Pindakaasvloer," or "peanut butter floor," highlights the absurd sense of humor that artist Wim T. Schippers captured in his artwork before he died last monthThu, 09 Jul 2026 18:15:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-this-dutch-museum-cover-the-floor-with-an-800-pound-installation-of-creamy-peanut-butter-180989097/Scientists Just Learned That This Bat Eats Birds Midflight. A Renaissance Painter May Have Known About It Hundreds of Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/Last fall, scientists reported the first known recordings of greater noctule bats hunting and feasting on songbirds during night flights. But a 17th-century artwork by Jan Brueghel the Elder seems to depict the species flying with feathered prey in its mouthThu, 09 Jul 2026 16:17:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/Kazakhstan's Iron Age 'Golden Man' and Other Elite Scythians of Eurasia Inherited Their High Social Status, Ancient DNA Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/Researchers have long wondered whether upper-class members of the ancient nomadic warriors earned their social status through individual achievements or birthrightThu, 09 Jul 2026 16:04:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used to Inoculate Patients May Have Introduced the Deadly Disease to Australia, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/Two new studies find that British colonists arriving via ship in the late 18th century likely introduced smallpox, which devastated Aboriginal communities far more than previously knownThu, 09 Jul 2026 14:14:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/New Images Reveal That This Asteroid Is Actually Two Conjoined Space Rocks. They Form a Peanut-Shaped Object Called a 'Contact Binary'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-reveal-that-this-asteroid-is-actually-two-conjoined-space-rocks-that-form-a-peanut-shaped-object-called-a-contact-binary-180989090/A flyby conducted by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 uncovered the asteroid's strange shape. Data gathered by the probe will also help defend the planet against potentially threatening space rocksWed, 08 Jul 2026 21:21:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-reveal-that-this-asteroid-is-actually-two-conjoined-space-rocks-that-form-a-peanut-shaped-object-called-a-contact-binary-180989090/The City of Boston Discovered One of the Oldest Known Gravestones of a Free Black American, Who Shared a Name With the Massachusetts Capitalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-city-of-boston-discovered-one-of-the-oldest-known-gravestones-of-a-free-black-american-who-shared-a-name-with-the-massachusetts-capital-180989088/Also known as Sebastian, he died in 1729 and is buried alongside Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere. His life tells a story of slavery and freedom in the North before the American RevolutionWed, 08 Jul 2026 20:56:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-city-of-boston-discovered-one-of-the-oldest-known-gravestones-of-a-free-black-american-who-shared-a-name-with-the-massachusetts-capital-180989088/'Like an Explosion in a Glass Factory': Frank Gehry's Seven-Ton 'Icehenge' Desk That Once Graced a Skyscraper Lobby Is Up for Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/like-an-explosion-in-a-glass-factory-frank-gehrys-seven-ton-icehenge-desk-that-once-graced-a-skyscraper-is-up-for-auction-180989087/Designed for the Inland Steel Building in Chicago, the desk is made from more than a dozen blocks of jagged, green-tinted glassWed, 08 Jul 2026 18:23:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/like-an-explosion-in-a-glass-factory-frank-gehrys-seven-ton-icehenge-desk-that-once-graced-a-skyscraper-is-up-for-auction-180989087/Did This Duke Poison His Brother? A New DNA Analysis May Solve the Centuries-Old Medici Mysteryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-this-duke-poison-his-brother-a-new-dna-analysis-may-solve-the-centuries-old-medici-mystery-180989086/Researchers found evidence of malaria in Francesco I de' Medici's bones, leading them to argue "with scientific certainty" that it was disease, not arsenic, that led to his death in 1587Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:05:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-this-duke-poison-his-brother-a-new-dna-analysis-may-solve-the-centuries-old-medici-mystery-180989086/The Arctic Ocean May Have Passed a Crucial Tipping Point That Could Harm Food Webs and Worsen Climate Changehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-arctic-ocean-may-have-passed-a-crucial-tipping-point-that-could-harm-food-webs-and-worsen-climate-change-180989083/Sea ice loss seems to have triggered a decline in the nutrient nitrate, affecting the tiny organisms that form the foundations of marine food chains and absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new studyWed, 08 Jul 2026 15:36:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-arctic-ocean-may-have-passed-a-crucial-tipping-point-that-could-harm-food-webs-and-worsen-climate-change-180989083/Our Ancestors Loved Shell Trinkets, Just Like Neanderthals. New Research Suggests It's a Sign of Shared Culture Across Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-ancestors-loved-shell-trinkets-just-like-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-its-a-sign-of-shared-culture-across-species-180989085/Based on artifacts found in a limestone cave on the Mediterranean coast, scientists think the two species might have shared similar survival strategies, stone tool technologies and symbolic traditionsWed, 08 Jul 2026 14:26:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-ancestors-loved-shell-trinkets-just-like-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-its-a-sign-of-shared-culture-across-species-180989085/Sperm Whales Living in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Seem to Have Developed a Distinct Dialect From Those in the Westhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sperm-whales-living-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-sea-seem-to-have-developed-a-distinct-dialect-from-those-in-the-west-180989084/All Mediterranean sperm whales were thought to be part of one cultural group, identifiable by a unique pattern of clicks, or a coda. But sound recordings suggest that eastern creatures use a sped-up version of the western whales' codaWed, 08 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sperm-whales-living-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-sea-seem-to-have-developed-a-distinct-dialect-from-those-in-the-west-180989084/Strange Spheres Washed Ashore on an Australian Beach. Authorities Say They're Probably 'Space Balls'—Empty Fuel Vessels From a Rockethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-spheres-washed-ashore-on-an-australian-beach-authorities-say-theyre-probably-space-balls-empty-fuel-vessels-from-a-rocket-180989082/The shiny objects—each roughly twice the size of a basketball—began to appear on July 3. Authorities initially worried that they were hazardous but have since determined that they're likely safe bits of space junkTue, 07 Jul 2026 21:15:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-spheres-washed-ashore-on-an-australian-beach-authorities-say-theyre-probably-space-balls-empty-fuel-vessels-from-a-rocket-180989082/Tall Trees Were Thought to Be More Vulnerable to Drought. But These Towering Plants in Southeast Asia Have Adapted to Move Water Efficientlyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tall-trees-were-thought-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-drought-but-these-towering-plants-in-southeast-asia-have-adapted-to-move-water-efficiently-180989075/A new study found that enormous dipterocarp trees have special adaptations to transport water up to their highest limbs, challenging the assumption that they would more easily succumb to dry conditionsTue, 07 Jul 2026 19:29:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tall-trees-were-thought-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-drought-but-these-towering-plants-in-southeast-asia-have-adapted-to-move-water-efficiently-180989075/A Pair of 2,000-Year-Old Gold Rings, One Engraved With Indian Script, Was Discovered in an Iron Age Burial Ground in Thailandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-pair-of-2000-year-old-gold-rings-one-engraved-with-indian-script-was-discovered-in-an-iron-age-burial-ground-in-thailand-180989081/The engraving seems to reference an "auspicious" zodiac sign in Indian or Vedic astrologyTue, 07 Jul 2026 19:19:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-pair-of-2000-year-old-gold-rings-one-engraved-with-indian-script-was-discovered-in-an-iron-age-burial-ground-in-thailand-180989081/This Giant Planet May Have Survived the Death of Its Star. The James Webb Space Telescope Just Found Its Atmospherehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-planet-survived-the-death-of-its-star-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-its-atmosphere-180989077/New observations of WD 1856 b, a gas giant closely orbiting a white dwarf, offer a preview of what could happen to Jupiter and Saturn after the sun dies in about five billion years.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:09:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-planet-survived-the-death-of-its-star-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-found-its-atmosphere-180989077/Can You Guess the Origins of Papyrus Fragments or Painted Ceramics? A College Student Turned the Met's Open-Access Database Into an Online Gamehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-guess-the-origins-of-papyrus-fragments-or-painted-ceramics-a-college-student-turned-the-mets-open-access-database-into-an-online-game-180989080/If you consider yourself an art history buff, test your smarts with Anthropeum. The game pulls ten images from the Met's open-access archive and challenges players to identify each artifact's time and place of originTue, 07 Jul 2026 17:09:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-guess-the-origins-of-papyrus-fragments-or-painted-ceramics-a-college-student-turned-the-mets-open-access-database-into-an-online-game-180989080/Cyborg Cockroaches Could Help Find Survivors of Natural Disasters. New Diving Suits Allow the Insects to Expand Their Search Underwaterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cyborg-cockroaches-could-help-find-survivors-of-natural-disasters-new-diving-suits-allow-the-insects-to-expand-their-search-underwater-180989066/Previously, researchers created electrical implants to control cockroaches' movements for search-and-rescue missions. Now, they've made 3D-printed suits that provide oxygen, allowing the critters to survive submerged for up to three hoursTue, 07 Jul 2026 16:01:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cyborg-cockroaches-could-help-find-survivors-of-natural-disasters-new-diving-suits-allow-the-insects-to-expand-their-search-underwater-180989066/These 11 Wildlife Images From the Ocean Conservancy’s Photography Contest Showcase the Wonder of Earth’s Watershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/Seals, penguins and fish are featured in the nonprofit’s annual competition to inspire care for the world’s oceansMon, 06 Jul 2026 22:15:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/See the Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' in a Unique Vertical Display Before Its New Exhibition Launches at the California Science Centerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-space-shuttle-endeavour-in-a-unique-vertical-display-before-its-new-exhibition-launches-at-the-california-science-center-180989073/This November, visitors to the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles will get to see the "ready-to-launch" "Endeavour" complete with rocket boosters and a fuel tankMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:21:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-space-shuttle-endeavour-in-a-unique-vertical-display-before-its-new-exhibition-launches-at-the-california-science-center-180989073/Early Flowering Plants May Have Relied on Dinosaurs to Eat Their Fleshy Fruits and Spread Their Seedshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/According to fossils preserved by volcanic ash, the plants, known as angiosperms, began producing relatively large, blueberry-size fruits millions of years earlier than previously thoughtMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:12:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/A New Expedition Will Create 3D Digital Twins of Polar Shipwrecks Tied to Voyages of Rival Explorers Who Raced to the South Polehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-expeditiion-will-create-3d-digital-twins-of-polar-shipwrecks-tied-to-voyages-of-rival-explorers-who-raced-to-the-south-pole-180989074/Robert Falcon Scott led an expedition aboard the ship ‘Terra Nova’ and Ernest Shackleton led one from the ship ‘Quest’—but neither explorer got to plant the first flag in the heart of AntarcticaMon, 06 Jul 2026 17:44:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-expeditiion-will-create-3d-digital-twins-of-polar-shipwrecks-tied-to-voyages-of-rival-explorers-who-raced-to-the-south-pole-180989074/How a Hungry Komodo Dragon Led Scientists to Determine Our Small, Hobbit-Like Cousins Probably Weren't That Smart After Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-hungry-komodo-dragod-led-scientists-to-determine-our-small-hobbit-like-cousins-probably-werent-that-smart-after-all-180989078/New research indicates "Homo floresiensis" probably wasn't hunting big game or using fire on Flores Island, suggesting the small-brained species wasn't quite as "behaviorally advanced" as once hypothesizedMon, 06 Jul 2026 15:31:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-hungry-komodo-dragod-led-scientists-to-determine-our-small-hobbit-like-cousins-probably-werent-that-smart-after-all-180989078/See Ten Spectacular Images From This Year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year Contest That Capture the Wonders of the Universehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ten-spectacular-images-from-this-years-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-capture-the-wonders-of-the-universe-180989065/The pictures, on the competition's shortlist, reveal the remarkable celestial objects that lie above our heads, both in deep space and closer to homeMon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ten-spectacular-images-from-this-years-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-capture-the-wonders-of-the-universe-180989065/An A.I.-Generated Alexander Hamilton Chats About Economics at the Museum of American Finance, Opening This Weekend in Bostonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-ai-generated-alexander-hamilton-chats-about-economics-at-the-museum-of-american-finance-opening-this-weekend-in-boston-180989071/The museum, which started in New York and hasn't had a permanent exhibition space in several years, depicts the history and influence of U.S. financial institutionsThu, 02 Jul 2026 21:28:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-ai-generated-alexander-hamilton-chats-about-economics-at-the-museum-of-american-finance-opening-this-weekend-in-boston-180989071/Scientists Say They've Made Cells That Feed, Grow and Reproduce, Bringing Them One Step Closer to Building Life From Scratchhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-made-cells-that-feed-grow-and-reproduce-bringing-them-one-step-closer-to-building-life-from-scratch-180989070/The human-made cells show many hallmarks of life, but they can't make all their necessary internal structures or divide for very many generationsThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:53:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-made-cells-that-feed-grow-and-reproduce-bringing-them-one-step-closer-to-building-life-from-scratch-180989070/3D Printing Gives New Life to an Ancient Game Board Discovered at a Roman Fort Near Hadrian's Wall in Englandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/Soldiers and civilians alike enjoyed the strategy game Ludus Latrunculorum in the Roman Empire, especially in Roman BritainThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:45:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/Puzzled by Mark Rothko's Captivating Color Field Paintings? Look to the Renaissance Masters Who Inspired Himhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/puzzled-by-mark-rothkos-captivating-color-field-paintings-look-to-the-renaissance-masters-who-inspired-him-180989068/During trips to Europe, the American painter developed a fascination with how 15th- and 16th-century artists and architects had designed their work to evoke specific feelingsThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:01:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/puzzled-by-mark-rothkos-captivating-color-field-paintings-look-to-the-renaissance-masters-who-inspired-him-180989068/The Oldest Black Church in the U.S., the Wright Brothers' Home and a New York Hospital Are Among the American Heritage Sites in Urgent Need of Preservationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oldest-black-church-wright-brothers-homes-new-york-hospital-american-heritage-treasures-in-urgent-need-of-preservation-180989058/For its “Irreplaceable America” list in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States, the World Monuments Fund chose endangered historic sites of innovation, creativity and spirituality to publicize and supportThu, 02 Jul 2026 17:54:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oldest-black-church-wright-brothers-homes-new-york-hospital-american-heritage-treasures-in-urgent-need-of-preservation-180989058/An Archival Discovery Became a Treasure Map Leading a Diver to a 17th-Century Shipwreck Carrying Coins and Gold Jewelryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-archival-discovery-became-a-treasure-map-leading-a-diver-to-a-17th-century-shipwreck-carrying-coins-and-gold-jewelry-180989063/See artifacts recovered thanks to a clue about the last resting place of a lost captain from an East India Company ship that went down near the Isles of ScillyThu, 02 Jul 2026 17:45:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-archival-discovery-became-a-treasure-map-leading-a-diver-to-a-17th-century-shipwreck-carrying-coins-and-gold-jewelry-180989063/Earth Might Be Home to 20 Million Insect Species—More Than Three Times as Many as Previously Thought, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earth-might-be-home-to-20-million-insect-speciesmore-than-three-times-as-many-as-previously-thought-a-study-suggests-180989062/Recent estimates have come to the consensus that our planet hosts roughly six million species. But new research reveals that those counts may be drastically underestimatedThu, 02 Jul 2026 15:30:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earth-might-be-home-to-20-million-insect-speciesmore-than-three-times-as-many-as-previously-thought-a-study-suggests-180989062/Alexander Hamilton's First National Bank Revolutionized the U.S. Economy. After Sitting Shuttered for Years, the Philadelphia Landmark Reopened as a Museumhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-hamiltons-first-national-bank-revolutionized-the-us-economy-after-sitting-shuttered-for-years-the-philadelphia-landmark-reopened-as-a-museum-180989056/A controversial idea right after the American Revolution, the First Bank of the United States proved prescient. Visitors can now check out its historic home after a $43 million makeoverWed, 01 Jul 2026 21:30:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-hamiltons-first-national-bank-revolutionized-the-us-economy-after-sitting-shuttered-for-years-the-philadelphia-landmark-reopened-as-a-museum-180989056/'The Greatest Cosmic Movie Ever Made': The World's Largest Digital Camera Begins a Historic, Decade-Long Survey of the Night Skyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/After a year of testing, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has started capturing data as part of the much-anticipated Legacy Survey of Space and TimeWed, 01 Jul 2026 21:21:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/Vintage ‘READ’ Posters Adorning Libraries and Classrooms for Decades Go on Auction as the American Library Association Turns 150https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/Taylor Swift, Serena Williams and famous fictional characters lent their iconic faces to encourage people to pick up a bookWed, 01 Jul 2026 19:30:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/After Decades of Debate, Scientists Say These Fossils Belong to the Largest Known Scorpion, Which Lived 415 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-decades-of-debate-scientists-say-these-fossils-belong-to-the-largest-known-scorpion-which-lived-415-million-years-ago-180989022/Researchers have wondered whether Praearcturus gigas was a giant crustacean called an isopod or some other creature. A new analysis of museum specimens suggests that it was a scorpion that stretched more than three feet longWed, 01 Jul 2026 18:55:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-decades-of-debate-scientists-say-these-fossils-belong-to-the-largest-known-scorpion-which-lived-415-million-years-ago-180989022/As France Prepares to Light Up the Statue of Liberty for America's 250th, Peek Into the History of the Symbol of Trans-Atlantic Friendshiphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-france-prepares-to-light-up-the-statue-of-liberty-for-americas-250th-peek-into-the-history-of-the-symbol-of-translatlantic-friendship-180989047/Here’s how three French idealists—an abolitionist, a sculptor and the engineer behind the Eiffel Tower—brought the representation of freedom to lifeWed, 01 Jul 2026 15:11:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-france-prepares-to-light-up-the-statue-of-liberty-for-americas-250th-peek-into-the-history-of-the-symbol-of-translatlantic-friendship-180989047/This Ancient Monolith That Archaeologists Unearthed in Mexico May Depict People Receiving ‘Divine Liquid’ in a Ritualhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-monolith-archaeologists-unearthed-in-mexico-may-depict-people-receiving-divine-liquid-in-a-ritual-180989049/The stela was found with a large, decorated platform and remnants of offerings in the state of VeracruzWed, 01 Jul 2026 14:33:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-monolith-archaeologists-unearthed-in-mexico-may-depict-people-receiving-divine-liquid-in-a-ritual-180989049/These Male Fruit Flies Have Sperm That Are Nearly as Long as Their Bodies. Here's How the Cells Don't Become a Tangled Messhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/Males of the species Drosophila melanogaster pack thousands of almost two-millimeter-long sperm cells into significantly smaller storage organs. A new study reveals how they move in an orderly mannerWed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/See These Ancient Etruscan Frescoes That Italy Bought for Millions and Put on Public Display in Romehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-these-ancient-etruscan-frescoes-that-italy-bought-for-millions-and-put-on-public-display-in-rome-180989046/Found in a burial chamber, the artworks depict battles between ancient heroes in the Mediterranean worldTue, 30 Jun 2026 20:52:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-these-ancient-etruscan-frescoes-that-italy-bought-for-millions-and-put-on-public-display-in-rome-180989046/These 17 Stunning Photos of the Strawberry Moon Show Earth's Natural Satellite in All Its Gloryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-17-stunning-photos-of-the-strawberry-moon-show-earths-natural-satellite-in-all-its-glory-180989050/The first full moon of the summer delivered dazzling visuals from across the globe. Its low position in the sky from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere gave it a golden hueTue, 30 Jun 2026 20:10:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-17-stunning-photos-of-the-strawberry-moon-show-earths-natural-satellite-in-all-its-glory-180989050/Rembrandt Began a Biblical Painting. Another Artist Finished It 'Rather Crudely.' Now, Restorations Have Revealed the Long-Lost Originalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-began-a-biblical-painting-another-artist-finished-it-rather-crudely-now-restorations-have-revealed-the-long-lost-original-180989045/An art dealer stumbled across "Let the Little Children Come Unto Me" at a German auction house in 2014. Experts have now carefully removed layers of overpaint from the forgotten masterpieceTue, 30 Jun 2026 19:10:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rembrandt-began-a-biblical-painting-another-artist-finished-it-rather-crudely-now-restorations-have-revealed-the-long-lost-original-180989045/Sold for Just £5,588, This Amber Pendant Turned Out to Be a Rare Tudor-Era Portrait of Elizabeth I. Now, It's Going on Auction for £100,000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sold-for-just-5588-this-amber-pendant-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-tudor-era-portrait-of-elizabeth-i-now-its-going-on-auction-for-100000-180989048/A master craftsman carved the likeness around 1600, possibly as a commission from the English monarch herself. A parrot on the back of the heart-shaped object symbolizes Elizabeth's status as a "virgin queen"Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:19:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sold-for-just-5588-this-amber-pendant-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-tudor-era-portrait-of-elizabeth-i-now-its-going-on-auction-for-100000-180989048/As the Ocean Warms, a 'Cold Blob' in the Atlantic Has Puzzled Scientists. It Might Be a Warning Sign About a Key Current Systemhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-the-ocean-warms-a-cold-blob-in-the-atlantic-has-puzzled-scientists-it-might-be-a-warning-sign-about-a-key-current-system-180988991/A patch of water south of Greenland and Iceland has cooled by nearly 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900. A new study suggests that it shows a crucial system of ocean currents is weakening, which could alter Earth's climateTue, 30 Jun 2026 16:17:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-the-ocean-warms-a-cold-blob-in-the-atlantic-has-puzzled-scientists-it-might-be-a-warning-sign-about-a-key-current-system-180988991/Why Did Neanderthals Go Extinct? Inbreeding Probably Wasn't to Blame for Their Demise in Northwestern Europe, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-neanderthals-go-extinct-inbreeding-probably-wasnt-to-blame-for-their-demise-in-northwestern-europe-a-study-suggests-180989032/In contrast to those who resided in Siberia, Neanderthals who lived in what's now Belgium and France shortly before the species vanished seem to have been genetically diverse and healthyTue, 30 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-neanderthals-go-extinct-inbreeding-probably-wasnt-to-blame-for-their-demise-in-northwestern-europe-a-study-suggests-180989032/Mars Rover Spots Complex Carbon on the Red Planet, Marking Yet Another Detection of a Building Block of Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/Along with other recent discoveries, the new finding from Perseverance boosts the case that Mars once hosted conditions that could support living things—but it isn’t a definitive sign of ancient organismsTue, 30 Jun 2026 13:38:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/The Hall of Raphael Frescoes in the Pope’s Residence at the Vatican Is Getting a Much-Needed Restoration With the Help of Lasershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-hall-of-raphael-frescoes-in-the-popes-residence-is-getting-a-much-needed-restoration-with-the-help-of-lasers-180989041/Conservators will spend the next five years cleaning and retouching the Renaissance frescoes, which date back to the early 16th centuryTue, 30 Jun 2026 13:31:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-hall-of-raphael-frescoes-in-the-popes-residence-is-getting-a-much-needed-restoration-with-the-help-of-lasers-180989041/After the Founders Declared Independence, Printers Quickly Translated the Text for German-Speaking Americanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-the-founders-declared-independence-printers-quickly-translated-the-text-for-german-speaking-americans-180989039/The document, printed in a gothic typeface, was translated in Philadelphia. One of two surviving copies is going on display in Berlin ahead of America's 250th birthdayMon, 29 Jun 2026 22:19:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-the-founders-declared-independence-printers-quickly-translated-the-text-for-german-speaking-americans-180989039/A Fossil From Antarctica Sat in a Drawer for 40 Years. It Turned Out to Be the First Dinosaur Bone Ever Found on the Continenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-fossil-from-antarctica-sat-in-a-drawer-for-40-years-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-dinosaur-bone-ever-found-on-the-continent-180989042/After being forgotten for decades, the mysterious tail vertebra has finally been identified as part of a titanosaur. The discovery helps researchers understand how dinosaurs may have traversed Earth's southernmost regionsMon, 29 Jun 2026 20:40:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-fossil-from-antarctica-sat-in-a-drawer-for-40-years-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-dinosaur-bone-ever-found-on-the-continent-180989042/Genghis Khan Is Remembered for His Vast Empire and Fearsome Warriors. This Exhibition Explores His Cultural Legacyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/genghis-khan-is-remembered-for-his-vast-empire-and-fearsome-warriors-this-exhibition-explores-his-cultural-legacy-180989040/The Royal Armouries Museum will show nearly 250 rare artifacts—from saddles to early paper money—that reveal a side of the Mongol Empire that's often neglectedMon, 29 Jun 2026 20:19:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/genghis-khan-is-remembered-for-his-vast-empire-and-fearsome-warriors-this-exhibition-explores-his-cultural-legacy-180989040/Humans and Great Apes Giggle With a Similar Rhythm and Timing, Suggesting We Have Shared Our Style of Laughter for 15 Million Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-and-great-apes-giggle-with-a-similar-rhythm-and-timing-suggesting-we-have-shared-our-style-of-laughter-for-15-million-years-180989031/Understanding how laughter evolved can reveal the secrets of human speechMon, 29 Jun 2026 18:30:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-and-great-apes-giggle-with-a-similar-rhythm-and-timing-suggesting-we-have-shared-our-style-of-laughter-for-15-million-years-180989031/Scientists Double Down on Age of What Might Be Earth's Oldest Impact Crater, Dating It, Again, at More Than Three Billion Years Oldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-double-down-on-age-of-earths-oldest-meteorite-impact-crater-dating-it-again-at-more-than-three-billion-years-old-180989023/Last year, geologists dated the crater in Western Australia at 3.47 billion years old, which was disputed by other experts. Now, they've revised the estimate to 3.02 billion years old—but some still aren't convincedMon, 29 Jun 2026 17:16:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-double-down-on-age-of-earths-oldest-meteorite-impact-crater-dating-it-again-at-more-than-three-billion-years-old-180989023/In a Scientific First, Researchers Recovered Ancient DNA That Humans Left Behind on Rock Art and Cave Wallshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-scientific-first-researchers-recovered-ancient-dna-that-humans-left-behind-on-rock-art-and-cave-walls-180989038/DNA preservation on cave walls is highly variable, but scientists say their work is an important step on the path toward gaining a deeper understanding of our creative ancestorsMon, 29 Jun 2026 14:27:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-scientific-first-researchers-recovered-ancient-dna-that-humans-left-behind-on-rock-art-and-cave-walls-180989038/Deep in the Mexican Jungle, Archaeologists Discovered a Lost Maya City That May Yield Clues About the Civilization Just Before It Collapsedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-in-the-mexican-jungle-archaeologists-discovered-a-lost-maya-city-that-may-yield-clues-about-the-civilization-just-before-it-collapsed-180989030/Researchers hacked through more than three miles of vegetation to get to the site, which lies out of bounds of familiar logging tracks. There, they found unique carved stelae and altarsFri, 26 Jun 2026 21:44:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-in-the-mexican-jungle-archaeologists-discovered-a-lost-maya-city-that-may-yield-clues-about-the-civilization-just-before-it-collapsed-180989030/See the Most Detailed Photo of the Milky Way's Heart Ever Taken in Visible Light, Which Will Help Astronomers Hunt for Exoplanetshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-most-detailed-photo-of-the-milky-ways-heart-ever-taken-in-visible-light-which-will-help-astronomers-hunt-for-exoplanets-180989027/The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope was built to study dark matter and dark energy, but for one day last year, it captured the densely packed stars brightening the center of our galaxyFri, 26 Jun 2026 21:09:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-most-detailed-photo-of-the-milky-ways-heart-ever-taken-in-visible-light-which-will-help-astronomers-hunt-for-exoplanets-180989027/Years in the Making, National Geographic's Museum of Exploration Is Here to Take You on an Adventurehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/years-in-the-making-national-geographics-museum-of-exploration-is-here-to-take-you-on-an-adventure-180989034/The renovated space highlights the hallmarks of the iconic 138-year-old brand, from wildlife photography to the study of anthropologyFri, 26 Jun 2026 20:03:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/years-in-the-making-national-geographics-museum-of-exploration-is-here-to-take-you-on-an-adventure-180989034/Scientists Have Deciphered the Surviving Fragments of a 2,000-Year-Old Philosophical Treatise Frozen in Time by Mount Vesuvius' Eruptionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036/The papyrus manuscript was part of a vast library preserved by volcanic ash. Now, the remaining passages—which examine ethics, knowledge and human nature—are accessible for the first time since 79 C.E.Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:51:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036/Too Hot for Art? Some Paris Museums and Landmarks Close or Reduce Hours Amid a Record Heat Wave in Europehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/too-hot-for-art-some-paris-museums-and-landmarks-close-or-reduce-hours-amid-a-record-heat-wave-in-europe-180989029/Meanwhile, other institutions offer their air-conditioned spaces as a way for residents and tourists to beat the heatFri, 26 Jun 2026 19:46:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/too-hot-for-art-some-paris-museums-and-landmarks-close-or-reduce-hours-amid-a-record-heat-wave-in-europe-180989029/Norman Rockwell Captured the Hustle of the West Wing in Colorful Drawings Displayed for Decades in the White House. They’re Now on Public View for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/norman-rockwell-captured-the-hustle-of-the-west-wing-in-colorful-drawings-displayed-for-decades-in-the-white-house-theyre-now-on-public-view-for-the-first-time-180989025/The works were commissioned to humanize President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of World War IIFri, 26 Jun 2026 18:40:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/norman-rockwell-captured-the-hustle-of-the-west-wing-in-colorful-drawings-displayed-for-decades-in-the-white-house-theyre-now-on-public-view-for-the-first-time-180989025/Early Humans May Have Used Fire 1.8 Million Years Ago, Nearly Doubling the Age of the Oldest Known Evidence for the Feathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-humans-may-have-used-fire-1-8-million-years-ago-nearly-doubling-the-age-of-the-oldest-known-evidence-for-the-feat-180989015/In Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, burned bones were found in a dirt layer associated with Homo erectus. The inhabitants probably hadn't mastered fire-making, but researchers say they may have moved and maintained flames from a natural fireFri, 26 Jun 2026 16:59:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-humans-may-have-used-fire-1-8-million-years-ago-nearly-doubling-the-age-of-the-oldest-known-evidence-for-the-feat-180989015/Did These Prehistoric Primates Really Bury Just Their Female Dead Deep in a Cave?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-prehistoric-primates-really-bury-just-their-female-dead-deep-in-a-cave-180989020/Researchers say that the fossilized bones of "Homo naledi," so far found exclusively underground in South Africa, lack a key genetic male markerThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:18:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-prehistoric-primates-really-bury-just-their-female-dead-deep-in-a-cave-180989020/Powerful Back-to-Back Earthquakes Killed at Least 188 People in Venezuela. Here's the Science Behind the Rare 'Doublet'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/powerful-back-to-back-earthquakes-killed-at-least-188-people-in-venezuela-heres-the-science-behind-the-rare-doublet-180989018/On June 24, two quakes above magnitude 7 struck the northern part of the country only 39 seconds apart. While doublet sequences aren't unheard of in seismology, they are uncommon—especially in such short successionThu, 25 Jun 2026 19:10:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/powerful-back-to-back-earthquakes-killed-at-least-188-people-in-venezuela-heres-the-science-behind-the-rare-doublet-180989018/Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Gracie, a Reticulated Giraffe on the Loose in Texashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-your-eyes-peeled-for-gracie-a-reticulated-giraffe-on-the-loose-in-texas-180989021/The tall creature escaped from a private ranch this month, and she's been roaming the Texas Hill Country ever sinceThu, 25 Jun 2026 17:57:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-your-eyes-peeled-for-gracie-a-reticulated-giraffe-on-the-loose-in-texas-180989021/The Lost Memoir of a Hiroshima Survivor Was Rediscovered. Now, It Will Be Published as a Book and Adapted for Filmhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-lost-memoir-of-a-hiroshima-survivor-was-rediscovered-now-it-will-be-published-as-a-book-and-adapted-for-film-180989019/Nearly 80 years ago, Kiyoshi Tanimoto documented the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing during World War II. His manuscript was recently found in a U.S. libraryThu, 25 Jun 2026 17:24:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-lost-memoir-of-a-hiroshima-survivor-was-rediscovered-now-it-will-be-published-as-a-book-and-adapted-for-film-180989019/Why Did the Handwriting in This 248-Year-Old Notebook Look Familiar? It Turned Out to Be a Forgotten Mozart Manuscripthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-handwriting-in-this-248-year-old-notebook-look-familiar-it-turned-out-to-be-a-forgotten-mozart-manuscript-180989017/While working as a tutor in 1778, the composer created seven short pieces for flute and harp with his student's help. This month, audiences heard the works performed for the very first timeThu, 25 Jun 2026 17:17:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-handwriting-in-this-248-year-old-notebook-look-familiar-it-turned-out-to-be-a-forgotten-mozart-manuscript-180989017/This Strange, Feathered Dinosaur May Have Glided Between Trees Like a Flying Squirrel to Hunt Birds 120 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-strange-featured-dinosaur-may-have-glided-between-trees-like-a-flying-squirrel-to-hunt-birds-120-million-years-ago-180989011/A fossil of the creature provides the first evidence that microraptors lived in what is now northwestern China. Its discovery might also solve an ancient murder mysteryThu, 25 Jun 2026 16:04:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-strange-featured-dinosaur-may-have-glided-between-trees-like-a-flying-squirrel-to-hunt-birds-120-million-years-ago-180989011/Gray Whales Are Getting Struck by Ships in San Francisco Bay. Could This New A.I.-Powered Tech Save Them?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gray-whales-are-getting-struck-by-ships-in-san-francisco-bay-could-this-new-ai-powered-tech-save-them-180989009/The recently launched system involves two thermal cameras that can detect gray whales up to four miles away, giving ships enough time to slow down or change course—and avoid running into the marine mammalsThu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gray-whales-are-getting-struck-by-ships-in-san-francisco-bay-could-this-new-ai-powered-tech-save-them-180989009/Were Vikings Really ‘Uncivilized’ Barbarians? Large Textile-Production Site Discovered in Denmark Challenges That Stereotypehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-textile-production-site-discovered-in-denmark-challenges-the-stereotype-of-vikings-as-uncivilized-barbarians-180989014/The massive settlement, which spans more than a million square feet, likely dates to the late Iron Age or early Viking Age between 600 and 950 C.E.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:31:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-textile-production-site-discovered-in-denmark-challenges-the-stereotype-of-vikings-as-uncivilized-barbarians-180989014/A Stolen Picasso Just Turned Up During a Drug Raid Near Paris, Reportedly Taken From a Storage Facilityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-stolen-picasso-just-turned-up-during-a-drug-raid-near-paris-reportedly-taken-from-a-storage-facility-180989010/The painting has been authenticated but not revealed. Reports suggest it is one of Picasso's portraits of Marie-Thérèse WalterWed, 24 Jun 2026 20:37:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-stolen-picasso-just-turned-up-during-a-drug-raid-near-paris-reportedly-taken-from-a-storage-facility-180989010/Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Might Be the Oldest Object Ever Seen in Our Solar System, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-might-be-the-oldest-object-ever-seen-in-our-solar-system-a-study-suggests-180989007/Based on the composition of gases spewed by the icy space rock, researchers estimate that our guest might be up to 12 billion years old—about three times the age of the solar systemWed, 24 Jun 2026 19:55:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-might-be-the-oldest-object-ever-seen-in-our-solar-system-a-study-suggests-180989007/The ‘Odyssey,’ One of the World’s Oldest Stories, Gets a Modern Spin With A.I.-Generated Audiobook Narration by the Voice Clone of an Oscar Winnerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-odyssey-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-stories-gets-a-modern-spin-with-ai-generated-audiobook-narration-by-the-voice-clone-of-an-oscar-winner-actor-michael-caine-180989006/Meanwhile, other actors are pushing back against the use of artificial intelligence in creative projects, including through a new “human consent” registry toolWed, 24 Jun 2026 18:56:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-odyssey-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-stories-gets-a-modern-spin-with-ai-generated-audiobook-narration-by-the-voice-clone-of-an-oscar-winner-actor-michael-caine-180989006/The World's First Nuclear Clocks Are Ticking, Opening a New Way to Investigate Dark Matter and Other Mysteries of Physicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-nuclear-clocks-are-ticking-opening-a-new-way-to-investigate-dark-matter-and-other-mysteries-of-physics-180989002/Two independent teams of scientists have created the first functional clocks that can keep ultraprecise time using the nuclei of a radioactive elementWed, 24 Jun 2026 16:37:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-nuclear-clocks-are-ticking-opening-a-new-way-to-investigate-dark-matter-and-other-mysteries-of-physics-180989002/This Newly Discovered Spider Builds a Unique Web That Catapults Ants Through the Airhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Flung prey can reach speeds of up to 14.4 feet per second, or a little less than ten miles per hour. An insect will land in the spider's main web about a foot above the spring-loaded trapWed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Greece Restored Part of the Parthenon's Western Facade, Revealing Its Original Shape Not Seen in Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/revealing-its-original-shape-not-seen-in-centuries-greece-restored-part-of-the-parthenons-western-facade-180988996/The project in Athens started in 2017 and involved quarrying, transporting, hand-carving and placing new marble blocks in one of the landmark’s triangular pedimentsWed, 24 Jun 2026 13:12:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/revealing-its-original-shape-not-seen-in-centuries-greece-restored-part-of-the-parthenons-western-facade-180988996/The First Edition of Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights' Contained Incorrect Page Numbers, Missing Punctuation and Three Misspellings of the Word 'Heights'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-edition-of-emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-contained-incorrect-page-numbers-missing-punctuation-and-three-misspellings-of-the-word-heights-180989005/The haunting story set against the Yorkshire moors would become one of the most renowned novels of the 19th century. Now, a rare first-edition copy is heading to auctionWed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-edition-of-emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-contained-incorrect-page-numbers-missing-punctuation-and-three-misspellings-of-the-word-heights-180989005/A Letter Signed by George Washington That Helped Pave the Way for American Independence Goes on Display in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-letter-signed-by-george-washington-that-helped-pave-the-way-for-american-independence-is-going-on-display-in-london-180989004/Washington dictated and signed the letter in October 1781 to formally accept the British surrender at Yorktown, writing of his “ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood”Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:27:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-letter-signed-by-george-washington-that-helped-pave-the-way-for-american-independence-is-going-on-display-in-london-180989004/This Magical Curse Written in Greek on a Small Lead Tablet Was Meant to Punish Enemies Nearly 2,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-magical-curse-written-in-greek-on-a-small-lead-tablet-was-meant-to-punish-enemies-nearly-2000-years-ago-180989001/The lead curse tablet was discovered in a city square in the Netherlands and recently deciphered by researchers in GermanyTue, 23 Jun 2026 20:21:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-magical-curse-written-in-greek-on-a-small-lead-tablet-was-meant-to-punish-enemies-nearly-2000-years-ago-180989001/This Giant, Seven-Story Picnic Basket, Once Home to an Iconic American Brand, Could Be Yours for $8.5 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-7-story-picnic-basket-once-home-to-icon-american-brand-longaberger-basket-could-be-yours-for-85-million-180988999/The former Longaberger basket company headquarters in Ohio is for sale to a buyer who is willing to preserve its quirky designTue, 23 Jun 2026 19:20:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-7-story-picnic-basket-once-home-to-icon-american-brand-longaberger-basket-could-be-yours-for-85-million-180988999/These Butterflies Can Live 25 Times Longer Than Their Relatives. They Might Provide Insights Into Healthy Aging in Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-butterflies-can-live-25-times-longer-than-their-relatives-they-might-provide-insights-into-healthy-aging-in-humans-180988993/Their unusual diet of pollen—rather than nectar—might partially explain why members of the Heliconius genus live so long, up to nearly a yearTue, 23 Jun 2026 15:47:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-butterflies-can-live-25-times-longer-than-their-relatives-they-might-provide-insights-into-healthy-aging-in-humans-180988993/Female Dolphins Seem to Remember Which Males Were Aggressive During Mating Season—and May Try to Avoid Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/When researchers played underwater recordings of pushy males, females that were capable of becoming pregnant swam away from the soundsTue, 23 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/Scientists May Have Discovered the Origins of the Euphrates River, Which Helped Nurture Some of the Earliest Known Civilizationshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-discovered-the-origins-of-the-euphrates-river-which-helped-nurture-some-of-the-earliest-known-civilizations-180988966/The famous waterway began as two rivers, a new study suggests. Tectonic activity around five million years ago probably made them change course and merge, helping to birth the Fertile CrescentMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:51:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-discovered-the-origins-of-the-euphrates-river-which-helped-nurture-some-of-the-earliest-known-civilizations-180988966/Fish and Humans Share Surprisingly Similar Sleep Habits, Including Daytime Napshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fish-and-humans-share-surprisingly-similar-sleep-habits-including-daytime-naps-180988985/A recent study suggests that zebrafish have four sleep substates, just like humans do—and one of them is akin to an afternoon snoozeMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:35:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fish-and-humans-share-surprisingly-similar-sleep-habits-including-daytime-naps-180988985/This Infamous ‘Death Railway’ Station, Built by Forced Labor From Prisoners of War and Civilians in World War II, Was Just Revealed in Thailandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-flock-to-nithe-station-this-infamous-wwii-death-railway-station-built-by-allied-prisoners-of-war-that-was-just-revealed-in-thailand-180988992/The Nithe Station, usually submerged under a reservoir, will be accessible this summer as officials drain the site to perform dam maintenanceMon, 22 Jun 2026 19:14:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-flock-to-nithe-station-this-infamous-wwii-death-railway-station-built-by-allied-prisoners-of-war-that-was-just-revealed-in-thailand-180988992/Scientists Identify Swaths of Coral Reefs That Might Be Able to Withstand Climate Change, Offering New Avenues for Conservationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-identify-swaths-of-coral-reefs-that-might-be-able-to-withstand-climate-change-offering-new-avenues-for-conservation-180988976/New research has mapped more than 64,000 square miles where the crucial habitat seems to be somewhat protected from the impacts of the warming oceanMon, 22 Jun 2026 18:01:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-identify-swaths-of-coral-reefs-that-might-be-able-to-withstand-climate-change-offering-new-avenues-for-conservation-180988976/Authorities Investigated Reports of an Illegal Excavation in Rome. Then, They Stumbled Upon an Ancient Villa Adorned With Mosaicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/authorities-investigated-reports-of-an-illegal-excavation-in-rome-then-they-stumbled-upon-an-ancient-villa-adorned-with-mosaics-180988995/In the second century C.E., Roman emperors such as Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus Pius frequented the area where the residence was foundMon, 22 Jun 2026 17:58:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/authorities-investigated-reports-of-an-illegal-excavation-in-rome-then-they-stumbled-upon-an-ancient-villa-adorned-with-mosaics-180988995/Two Well-Preserved Roman Busts Were Discovered Inside a Wine Vat in Israel Near the Capital City of a Roman Provincehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-well-preserved-roman-busts-were-discovered-inside-a-wine-vat-in-israel-near-the-capital-city-of-a-roman-province-180988975/One is inscribed with the name "Lycurgus," suggesting the bust may depict the legendary founder of ancient SpartaMon, 22 Jun 2026 13:51:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-well-preserved-roman-busts-were-discovered-inside-a-wine-vat-in-israel-near-the-capital-city-of-a-roman-province-180988975/Archaeologists Discover Evidence That a Wooden Prototype for Stonehenge May Have Aligned With the Solstice 500 Years Before the Stone Circlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/The remains of a wooden monument in southern England, three miles away from Stonehenge, may demonstrate Neolithic people's interest in the heavensFri, 19 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/A 6-Year-Old Boy Spotted Something Sticking Out of the Ground in a Field. It Turned Out to Be a Viking Swordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-6-year-old-boy-spotted-something-sticking-out-of-the-ground-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-a-viking-sword-180988989/Henrik Refsnes Mørtvedt was on a school field trip when he found the roughly 1,200-year-old weapon. The single-edged blade will now be preserved at an Oslo museumThu, 18 Jun 2026 21:20:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-6-year-old-boy-spotted-something-sticking-out-of-the-ground-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-a-viking-sword-180988989/New Discovery That Hunter-Gatherer Children Died of Plague More Than Five Millennia Ago Sets Back the Date of the Earliest Outbreakhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-discovery-that-hunter-gatherer-children-died-of-plague-more-than-five-millennia-ago-sets-back-the-date-of-the-earliest-outbreak-180988983/The skeletons of nomadic families unearthed in Siberia harbor "Yersinia pestis" bacteria, which challenges theories about conditions needed for the disease to spreadThu, 18 Jun 2026 20:58:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-discovery-that-hunter-gatherer-children-died-of-plague-more-than-five-millennia-ago-sets-back-the-date-of-the-earliest-outbreak-180988983/Major Oak, the 1,200-Year-Old Tree with Ties to the Robin Hood Legend, Is Presumed Dead After Failing to Produce Leaveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/major-oak-the-1200-year-old-tree-with-ties-to-the-robin-hood-legend-is-presumed-dead-after-failing-to-produce-leaves-180988986/The legendary bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor is said to have used the massive tree as a hideout while running from the sheriff of NottinghamThu, 18 Jun 2026 20:43:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/major-oak-the-1200-year-old-tree-with-ties-to-the-robin-hood-legend-is-presumed-dead-after-failing-to-produce-leaves-180988986/This Photography Studio Captured the Beauty of Black Life in the South. Soon Its Archive, Once Hidden Away, Will Have a New Museum Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-photography-studio-hooks-brothers-captured-the-beauty-of-black-life-in-the-south-soon-its-archive-once-hidden-away-will-have-a-new-museum-home-180988982/The Hooks brothers documented life and joy in Memphis during the 20th century. Their images will be put on public view when the Memphis Art Museum opensThu, 18 Jun 2026 19:15:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-photography-studio-hooks-brothers-captured-the-beauty-of-black-life-in-the-south-soon-its-archive-once-hidden-away-will-have-a-new-museum-home-180988982/Astronomers Discovered a 'Cosmic Fossil' in the Making—the Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy Seen Yet—by Peering Back to the Edge of Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discovered-a-cosmic-fossil-in-the-making-the-most-chemically-primitive-galaxy-seen-yet-by-peering-back-to-the-edge-of-time-180988954/The James Webb Space Telescope observed 13-billion-year-old light, using a closer galactic cluster like a magnifying glass. The work helps experts understand the universe’s earliest stars and mysterious ultra-faint dwarf galaxiesThu, 18 Jun 2026 16:41:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discovered-a-cosmic-fossil-in-the-making-the-most-chemically-primitive-galaxy-seen-yet-by-peering-back-to-the-edge-of-time-180988954/By Signing His Name to Massive Jars, This Enslaved Artist Defied Literacy Bans in the South. Now, His Masterpiece Is on View With a Famed Paul Revere Bowlhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-signing-his-name-to-massive-jars-this-enslaved-artist-david-drake-defied-literacy-bans-in-the-south-now-his-masterpiece-is-on-view-with-a-famed-paul-revere-bowl-180988964/Born into slavery around 1800, David Drake was a skilled ceramicist. His work will be on display at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston as the institution marks America's 250th birthdayThu, 18 Jun 2026 16:29:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-signing-his-name-to-massive-jars-this-enslaved-artist-david-drake-defied-literacy-bans-in-the-south-now-his-masterpiece-is-on-view-with-a-famed-paul-revere-bowl-180988964/Researchers Find a Mathematical Pattern Used in City Planning Hidden in the Leaves of a Common Houseplanthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-find-a-mathematical-pattern-used-in-city-planning-hidden-in-the-leaves-of-a-common-houseplant-180988978/The major veins of Chinese money plant leaves form what's called a Voronoi diagram. It might be caused by a plant-growth hormone that emanates in waves from developing leaves' poresThu, 18 Jun 2026 16:02:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-find-a-mathematical-pattern-used-in-city-planning-hidden-in-the-leaves-of-a-common-houseplant-180988978/Nearly All Plants Depend on Tiny Underground Fungi. The Microbes' Vast Global Networks Were Just Mapped for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-all-plants-depend-on-tiny-underground-fungi-the-microbes-vast-global-networks-were-just-mapped-for-the-first-time-180988955/If lined up end to end, the thin, tubular threads that make up the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks in Earth’s topsoil could stretch between our planet and the sun almost one billion timesThu, 18 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-all-plants-depend-on-tiny-underground-fungi-the-microbes-vast-global-networks-were-just-mapped-for-the-first-time-180988955/In June 1775, the American Patriots Faced Off With the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Archaeologists Are Uncovering Evidence of the Fighting 251 Years Laterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-june-1775-the-american-patriots-faced-off-with-the-british-at-the-battle-of-bunker-hill-archaeologists-are-uncovering-evidence-of-the-fighting-251-years-later-180988979/Researchers discovered gun parts, musket balls and other artifacts in Boston's Charlestown neighborhoodThu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-june-1775-the-american-patriots-faced-off-with-the-british-at-the-battle-of-bunker-hill-archaeologists-are-uncovering-evidence-of-the-fighting-251-years-later-180988979/Hidden Tunnels Dating Back to Henry VIII's Reign Were Discovered at This English Boarding School, Where the King Once Livedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hidden-tunnels-dating-back-to-henry-viiis-reign-were-discovered-at-english-boarding-school-New-Hall-School-where-the-king-once-lived-180988965/Bones, bottles and pottery were found at the New Hall School, which was once Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu. Before that, Anne Boleyn's father owned the estateWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:56:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hidden-tunnels-dating-back-to-henry-viiis-reign-were-discovered-at-english-boarding-school-New-Hall-School-where-the-king-once-lived-180988965/Scientists Discover a New Species of 'Walking' Shark in Papua New Guinea. They Suspect It's at Risk of Going Extincthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/The creature belongs to a unique group of sharks whose members can use their strong pectoral fins like legs to get aroundWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:41:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/Archaeologists Unearth Hundreds of Artifacts at Fort Ticonderoga, the Site of America's First Offensive Victory of the Revolutionary Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-hundreds-of-artifacts-at-fort-ticonderoga-the-site-of-americas-first-offensive-victory-of-the-revolutionary-war-180988971/The objects were discovered on Liberty Hill, the place where many Continental Army soldiers heard the text of the Declaration of Independence for the first timeWed, 17 Jun 2026 18:54:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-hundreds-of-artifacts-at-fort-ticonderoga-the-site-of-americas-first-offensive-victory-of-the-revolutionary-war-180988971/For Its Birthday, the U.S. Will Give Americans of the Future a 900-Pound Time Capsule Filled With Art, Natural Treasures and a Clever Copy of the Declaration of Independencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/indigenous-art-an-eagle-feather-and-a-3d-rendering-of-abraham-lincolns-hand-see-the-items-just-sealed-in-americas-time-capsule-180988973/The capsule was created and filled at the direction of Congress, through the America250 commission. It will be interred beneath an original sculpture on July 4Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:20:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/indigenous-art-an-eagle-feather-and-a-3d-rendering-of-abraham-lincolns-hand-see-the-items-just-sealed-in-americas-time-capsule-180988973/Male Bowerbirds in Australian Cities Are Turning Human Trash Into Treasure to Impress Potential Mateshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/male-bowerbirds-in-australian-cities-are-turning-human-trash-into-treasure-to-impress-potential-mates-180988969/Even rural birds prefer human-made objects, such as colored glass and wire, when given the choice between them and natural decorations, like leaves and shells, according to a new studyWed, 17 Jun 2026 15:35:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/male-bowerbirds-in-australian-cities-are-turning-human-trash-into-treasure-to-impress-potential-mates-180988969/This 'Practice-Changing' Gene Test Could Tell Doctors Which Patients With Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemo, Clinical Trial Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-practice-changing-gene-test-could-tell-doctors-which-patients-with-breast-cancer-can-skip-chemo-clinical-trial-suggests-180988957/Chemotherapy comes with debilitating side effects, including brain fog, nausea and nerve damage. New research suggests that many people with a common type of breast cancer need just radiation and hormone therapy to prevent recurrenceWed, 17 Jun 2026 14:01:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-practice-changing-gene-test-could-tell-doctors-which-patients-with-breast-cancer-can-skip-chemo-clinical-trial-suggests-180988957/Scientists Uncover New Clues About the Volcanic Origins of the Giant's Causeway, an Iconic Geologic Structure in Northern Irelandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-uncover-new-clues-about-the-volcanic-origins-of-the-giants-causeway-an-iconic-geologic-structure-in-northern-ireland-180988967/The UNESCO World Heritage Site, which features 40,000 near-perfect hexagonal columns, formed roughly 60 million years ago during a period of intense volcanic activityTue, 16 Jun 2026 21:32:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-uncover-new-clues-about-the-volcanic-origins-of-the-giants-causeway-an-iconic-geologic-structure-in-northern-ireland-180988967/See a Stunning View of the Southern Lights Dancing Across the Earth Captured by a NASA Astronauthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-stunning-view-of-the-southern-lights-dancing-across-the-earth-captured-by-a-nasa-astronaut-180988960/Jessica Meir, commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 mission, shared photos and videos of a green aurora she shot while sheltering in a capsule outside the International Space StationTue, 16 Jun 2026 16:04:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-stunning-view-of-the-southern-lights-dancing-across-the-earth-captured-by-a-nasa-astronaut-180988960/See the First-Ever Photographs of Cozumel’s Elusive Dwarf Fox, One of the Rarest Canids in the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/No one had seen the creatures in more than two decades, leading scientists to wonder whether they'd gone extinct. That changed in September 2023Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/You Can Now See Betsy Ross’ Sewing Table in Philadelphia, Thanks to a Flag Day Donation From Her Great-Great-Great-Great Grandsonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-see-betsy-ross-sewing-table-in-philadelphia-thanks-to-a-flag-day-donation-from-her-great-great-great-great-grandson-180988963/The origins of the Stars and Stripes are murky, but generations of Americans have admired stories about Ross creating the first American flagTue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-see-betsy-ross-sewing-table-in-philadelphia-thanks-to-a-flag-day-donation-from-her-great-great-great-great-grandson-180988963/A Museum of American Music—Headlined by Bruce Springsteen—Opened in New Jersey With Instruments, Lyrics and Clothes From Rock Stars and Pop Legendshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-museum-of-american-music-headlined-by-bruce-springsteen-opens-in-new-jersey-with-instruments-lyrics-and-clothes-from-rock-stars-and-pop-legends-180988958/The Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University, which houses the archives of its namesake Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, welcomed its first visitorsMon, 15 Jun 2026 21:13:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-museum-of-american-music-headlined-by-bruce-springsteen-opens-in-new-jersey-with-instruments-lyrics-and-clothes-from-rock-stars-and-pop-legends-180988958/Venus Flytraps Snap Their Traps Shut in Less Than a Second. Scientists Say They've Discovered How the Predatory Plants Are So Fasthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venus-flytraps-snap-their-traps-shut-in-less-than-a-second-scientists-say-theyve-discovered-how-the-predatory-plants-are-so-fast-180988949/The walls of cells in the leaves' outer layer suddenly soften, allowing the structures to hinge into a closed position, according to a new studyMon, 15 Jun 2026 20:06:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venus-flytraps-snap-their-traps-shut-in-less-than-a-second-scientists-say-theyve-discovered-how-the-predatory-plants-are-so-fast-180988949/With a Beam of Light, the New York City AIDS Memorial Honors the Nearly Forgotten Legacy of This Great American Sculptorhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-a-beam-of-light-the-new-york-city-aids-memorial-honors-the-nearly-forgotten-legacy-of-this-great-american-sculptor-180988956/A new sculpture draws on materials and ideas from Scott Burton's artwork, which offered comfort in urban spaces. His final public series was a set of benches and lights on piers in BrooklynMon, 15 Jun 2026 19:57:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-a-beam-of-light-the-new-york-city-aids-memorial-honors-the-nearly-forgotten-legacy-of-this-great-american-sculptor-180988956/The 'Super' El Niño Has Arrived. Here's How It Might Affect the World's Weather and Economyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-super-el-nino-has-arrived-heres-how-it-might-affect-the-worlds-weather-and-economy-180988951/The naturally occurring climate pattern, characterized by warm surface water in the Pacific Ocean, that has just started could be one of the strongest ever recorded, according to expertsMon, 15 Jun 2026 17:36:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-super-el-nino-has-arrived-heres-how-it-might-affect-the-worlds-weather-and-economy-180988951/'Ugliest Shark on the Planet': See the Elusive Goblin Shark, Filmed for the First Time in Its Deep-Sea Habitathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ugliest-shark-on-the-planet-see-the-elusive-goblin-shark-filmed-for-the-first-time-in-its-deep-sea-habitat-180988950/Scientists spotted the enigmatic creatures in 2019 and again in 2024, marking the first times they've been observed alive in the wild. The sightings drastically expand the animals' known geographic and depth rangeMon, 15 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ugliest-shark-on-the-planet-see-the-elusive-goblin-shark-filmed-for-the-first-time-in-its-deep-sea-habitat-180988950/Stay Up Late and Admire the Cosmos With This New ‘Stargazing Trail’ That Links Certified Dark Sky Destinationshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stary-up-late-and-admire-the-cosmos-with-this-new-stargazing-trail-that-links-certified-dark-sky-destinations-180988953/The initiative debuts as Colorado gears up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its statehoodFri, 12 Jun 2026 21:29:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stary-up-late-and-admire-the-cosmos-with-this-new-stargazing-trail-that-links-certified-dark-sky-destinations-180988953/When Claude Monet Planted Water Lilies, Inspiration Struck. An Upcoming Auction Will Test How Much Collectors Prize the Floral Masterpieceshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-claude-monet-planted-water-lilies-inspiration-struck-an-upcoming-auction-will-test-how-much-collectors-prize-the-floral-masterpieces-180988947/The marquee painting from Monet’s "Nymphéas" series is expected to fetch more than $40 million at auction later this monthFri, 12 Jun 2026 20:48:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-claude-monet-planted-water-lilies-inspiration-struck-an-upcoming-auction-will-test-how-much-collectors-prize-the-floral-masterpieces-180988947/Construction in Germany Revealed the 'Princely Grave' of a Celtic Warrior Who Was Buried With Weapons and a Two-Wheeled Wagonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-in-germany-revealed-the-princely-grave-of-a-celtic-warrior-who-was-buried-with-weapons-and-a-two-wheeled-wagon-180988952/Archaeologists say the find proves "the previously only assumed presence of a local Celtic elite." Grave goods also included gold jewelry and a jug imported from modern-day TuscanyFri, 12 Jun 2026 20:21:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-in-germany-revealed-the-princely-grave-of-a-celtic-warrior-who-was-buried-with-weapons-and-a-two-wheeled-wagon-180988952/Working From Home Is Making People Lonelier and Worsening Mental Health, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/working-from-home-is-making-people-lonelier-and-worsening-mental-health-a-study-suggests-180988938/The findings do not mean that in-office mandates are a fix, experts say. Instead, workplaces should have flexible policies that allow employees to choose where they’d like to workFri, 12 Jun 2026 19:40:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/working-from-home-is-making-people-lonelier-and-worsening-mental-health-a-study-suggests-180988938/Is Your Dog Right-Pawed or Left-Pawed? Here's How to Figure It Out, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-your-dog-right-pawed-or-left-pawed-heres-how-to-figure-it-out-according-to-a-new-study-180988941/Researchers devised a series of tests to measure your furry friend's laterality, which can be associated with behavior, emotion and cognitionFri, 12 Jun 2026 19:23:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-your-dog-right-pawed-or-left-pawed-heres-how-to-figure-it-out-according-to-a-new-study-180988941/With A.I.'s Help, a Family Realized Their Mysterious Thrift-Store Find Is a Portrait by a Great Scottish Painterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-help-from-ai-a-family-realized-their-mysterious-thrift-store-find-is-a-portrait-by-a-great-scottish-painter-180988948/The oil painting, the work of "Scottish Colorist" FCB Cadell, just sold at auction for more than $250,000Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:54:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-help-from-ai-a-family-realized-their-mysterious-thrift-store-find-is-a-portrait-by-a-great-scottish-painter-180988948/Researchers Accidentally Discover That Humans Prefer to Turn Counterclockwise. But They Still Have No Idea Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-accidentally-discover-that-humans-prefer-to-turn-counterclockwise-180988939/The effect transcends factors like culture, gender and handedness, causing the scientists, who were initially studying social distancing behavior, to scratch their headsFri, 12 Jun 2026 16:30:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-accidentally-discover-that-humans-prefer-to-turn-counterclockwise-180988939/Scientists Discover the World's Largest, Deepest Whale Graveyard, Where Cetacean Remains Have Been Piling Up for Five Million Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/The massive necropolis, located deep in the southeastern Indian Ocean, is teeming with marine life supported by the whale carcasses, including many suspected new speciesFri, 12 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/See Stunning Photos of New National Park Land That Soon Will Be Accessible From America's Longest National Trailhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-stunning-photos-of-new-national-park-land-that-soon-will-be-accessible-from-americas-longest-national-trail-180988943/The 213 acres of land in far northern Wisconsin, along the southern shore of Lake Superior, include a waterfallThu, 11 Jun 2026 21:04:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-stunning-photos-of-new-national-park-land-that-soon-will-be-accessible-from-americas-longest-national-trail-180988943/Mule Deer Are Already Using California's First Wildlife Crossing—and It's Not Even Finished Yethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mule-deer-are-already-using-californias-first-wildlife-crossing-and-its-not-even-finished-yet-180988933/Construction on the $20 million bridge in Siskiyou County began last year and is expected to be complete by this fall, with miles of eight-foot-high fencing along the highway to help funnel animals toward itThu, 11 Jun 2026 20:40:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mule-deer-are-already-using-californias-first-wildlife-crossing-and-its-not-even-finished-yet-180988933/See Visions of the Past and Future in This New York City Exhibition on the Renaissance Roots of Tarot Cardshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-visions-of-the-past-and-future-in-this-new-york-city-exhibition-on-the-renaissance-roots-of-tarot-cards-180988940/The Morgan Library & Museum traces the history of beautifully illustrated tarot cards from their origins as a card game to modern occult fascinationThu, 11 Jun 2026 18:52:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-visions-of-the-past-and-future-in-this-new-york-city-exhibition-on-the-renaissance-roots-of-tarot-cards-180988940/Scientists Invented a Disease to Test Whether A.I. Knew It Was Fake. Then, Chatbots Started Saying It Was Realhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-invented-a-disease-to-test-whether-ai-knew-it-was-fake-then-chatbots-started-saying-it-was-real-180988924/The eye condition bixonimania doesn't exist, but neither bots nor some researchers caught that the content was fabricated—despite obvious cluesThu, 11 Jun 2026 17:59:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-invented-a-disease-to-test-whether-ai-knew-it-was-fake-then-chatbots-started-saying-it-was-real-180988924/Four Reasons You Should Know More About Gordon S. Wood, the Scholar of the American Revolution Who Died This Week at Age 92https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-reasons-why-you-should-know-gordon-s-wood-esteemed-scholar-of-the-american-revolution-who-died-this-week-at-age-92-180988937/The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, who wrote of the "radicalism" of the country’s founding, was killed in a car collision in a parking lotThu, 11 Jun 2026 17:24:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-reasons-why-you-should-know-gordon-s-wood-esteemed-scholar-of-the-american-revolution-who-died-this-week-at-age-92-180988937/Archaeologists Unearth a Marble Aphrodite, a Pharaoh's Cartouche and a Roman Basilica, All in One Ancient Egyptian Cityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-an-marble-aphrodite-a-pharoahs-cartouche-and-a-roman-basilica-all-in-one-ancient-egyptian-city-180988930/The collection of artifacts represents the layered history of Ehnasiya, an ancient Egyptian capital that became the Roman city of Heracleópolis MagnaThu, 11 Jun 2026 14:40:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-an-marble-aphrodite-a-pharoahs-cartouche-and-a-roman-basilica-all-in-one-ancient-egyptian-city-180988930/A Rare Meteorite Found in the Sahara Desert Offers Evidence of a Lost Protoplanethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-meteorite-found-in-the-sahara-desert-offers-evidence-of-a-lost-protoplanet-180988932/Chemical signatures indicate the meteorite came from an early planet that met an untimely end during the formation of our solar systemThu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-meteorite-found-in-the-sahara-desert-offers-evidence-of-a-lost-protoplanet-180988932/This Woman's Brains Were Scooped Out and Her Bones Were Broken and Whittled in Scotland 2,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-womans-brains-were-scooped-out-and-her-bones-were-broken-and-whittled-in-scotland-2000-years-ago-180988935/Researchers say the modifications may represent a previously unknown funerary ritual in Iron Age BritainWed, 10 Jun 2026 21:23:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-womans-brains-were-scooped-out-and-her-bones-were-broken-and-whittled-in-scotland-2000-years-ago-180988935/See the Human Body Morph Into Musical Instruments From Around the World at a New Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Arthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-human-body-morph-into-musical-instruments-from-around-the-world-at-a-new-exhibition-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-180988931/A belly turns into a drum, hands mold into percussion tools and a face adorns a brass bell in this anatomical art history showWed, 10 Jun 2026 19:41:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-human-body-morph-into-musical-instruments-from-around-the-world-at-a-new-exhibition-at-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-180988931/Researchers Investigated Ancient Squirrel Poop Frozen in Permafrost and Found Enlightening Details About the Animal's Ecosystemhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-investigated-ancient-squirrel-poop-frozen-in-permafrost-and-found-enlightening-details-about-the-animals-ecosystem-180988934/Up to 700,000 years ago, ground squirrels in modern-day Canada collected tons of helpful genetic information on their bygone environment through their dietWed, 10 Jun 2026 18:47:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-investigated-ancient-squirrel-poop-frozen-in-permafrost-and-found-enlightening-details-about-the-animals-ecosystem-180988934/Workers Dredging the Savannah River Stumbled Upon 19 Cannons That Had Been Underwater Since the Revolutionary Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-dredging-the-savannah-river-stumbled-upon-19-cannons-that-had-been-underwater-since-the-revolutionary-war-180988928/The centuries-old artifacts emerged from the riverbed between 2021 and 2022. Experts spent several years carefully restoring 17 of them, which will make their public debut in a new exhibitionWed, 10 Jun 2026 18:13:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-dredging-the-savannah-river-stumbled-upon-19-cannons-that-had-been-underwater-since-the-revolutionary-war-180988928/You Can Soon Build the Sagrada Família Out of 12,060 Legos. Here's Why the Famed Basilica Is an Architectural Marvelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-soon-build-the-sagrada-familia-out-of-12060-legos-heres-why-the-famed-basilica-is-an-architectural-marvel-180988927/Pioneering architect Antoni Gaudí’s plans for the basilica were ambitious and complex, drawing on creative geometric forms and ancient inspiration, which is one reason it remains unfinished after 144 yearsWed, 10 Jun 2026 17:44:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-soon-build-the-sagrada-familia-out-of-12060-legos-heres-why-the-famed-basilica-is-an-architectural-marvel-180988927/Bumblebees Can Solve Problems on the Fly, Adding to the Insects' List of Impressive Cognitive Abilitieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-can-solve-problems-on-the-fly-adding-to-the-insects-list-of-impressive-cognitive-abilities-180988925/In a series of experiments, the fuzzy pollinators figured out how to use a ball as a tool to access a sugary treat. The study further highlights that the critters are quite clever despite their tiny brainsWed, 10 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-can-solve-problems-on-the-fly-adding-to-the-insects-list-of-impressive-cognitive-abilities-180988925/500 Years Ago, Leonardo da Vinci’s Notebook Was Cut Up and Separated. Now, the Inventor's Manuscripts and Drawings Are Reconstructed in an Online Archivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/500-years-ago-da-vincis-notebook-was-cut-up-and-separated-now-the-inventors-manuscripts-and-drawings-are-reconstructed-in-an-online-archive-180988922/A new tool developed by Museo Galileo researchers has restored 50 pages from fragments excised centuries agoWed, 10 Jun 2026 02:35:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/500-years-ago-da-vincis-notebook-was-cut-up-and-separated-now-the-inventors-manuscripts-and-drawings-are-reconstructed-in-an-online-archive-180988922/NASA Announces the Crew of Artemis 3, Four Astronauts Who Will 'Take Calculated Risks' in Low-Earth Orbit and Pave the Way for a Future Moon Landinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-announces-the-crew-of-artemis-3-four-astronauts-who-will-take-calculated-risks-in-low-earth-orbit-and-pave-the-way-for-a-future-moon-landing-180988920/The mission, expected to launch next year, will practice meeting and docking with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue OriginTue, 09 Jun 2026 20:53:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-announces-the-crew-of-artemis-3-four-astronauts-who-will-take-calculated-risks-in-low-earth-orbit-and-pave-the-way-for-a-future-moon-landing-180988920/This Rare, Intricate Brooch Represents the Roman Empire's Long, Disjointed Attempt to Conquer Scotlandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-intricate-brooch-represents-the-roman-empires-long-disjointed-attempt-to-conquer-scotland-180988923/The "miniature masterpiece" will go on display during an upcoming exhibition focused on the legacy Rome left in the highlands the empire dubbed CaledoniaTue, 09 Jun 2026 19:55:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-intricate-brooch-represents-the-roman-empires-long-disjointed-attempt-to-conquer-scotland-180988923/People Across Cultures Find Women's Faces to Be More Attractive Than Men's, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-across-cultures-find-womens-faces-to-be-more-attractive-than-mens-a-new-study-suggests-180988914/In many species of wild animals, males have flashier features than females to help them attract mates. But scientists have long noticed that humans seem to be an exception, with women often being considered the "fairer sex"Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:14:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-across-cultures-find-womens-faces-to-be-more-attractive-than-mens-a-new-study-suggests-180988914/'Cute Little Guy': Scientists Discover a Tiny Blue Species of Octopus by the Galápagos Islandshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cute-little-guy-scientists-discover-a-tiny-blue-species-of-octopus-by-the-galapagos-islands-180988919/The palm-size creature was spotted and collected during a research expedition more than a decade ago, but scientists have just identified it as a previously undescribed speciesTue, 09 Jun 2026 18:33:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cute-little-guy-scientists-discover-a-tiny-blue-species-of-octopus-by-the-galapagos-islands-180988919/More Than 100,000 Illegal Exotic Cockroaches Were Seized by Australian Authorities in a Record-Setting Bug Busthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-100000-illegal-exotic-cockroaches-were-seized-by-australian-authorities-in-a-record-setting-bug-bust-180988913/The insects are estimated to be worth up to $141,000, according to Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. Exotic cockroaches could harm the country’s wildlife and agricultureTue, 09 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-100000-illegal-exotic-cockroaches-were-seized-by-australian-authorities-in-a-record-setting-bug-bust-180988913/How Did Stonehenge Get Its Altar Stone? New Research Adds to the Debate Between Human Effort and Glacier Transporthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-stonehenge-get-its-altar-stone-new-research-reveals-evidence-adding-to-the-debate-between-human-effort-and-glacier-transport-180988918/Ice flow modeling and geological analyses suggest it's possible that glaciers carried the stone part of the way during the last Ice Age. However, scientists say that scenario is unlikelyMon, 08 Jun 2026 22:33:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-stonehenge-get-its-altar-stone-new-research-reveals-evidence-adding-to-the-debate-between-human-effort-and-glacier-transport-180988918/Trail Camera Photos Capture Rare Antelopes in a Kenya Forest Where Conservationists Once Feared They Had Vanishedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/Fewer than 100 mountain bongos are thought to live in the wild, and the new discovery reveals a crucial habitat for the critically endangered creaturesMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:38:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/These Italian Teenagers Stayed Overnight at Their School. They Found Ancient Roman Ruins Hidden in the Basementhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/Students at a high school in Rome stumbled upon a well-preserved villa that dates to the mid-second century C.E. Eventually, archaeologists hope to open the sprawling space to the publicMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:01:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/In a First, NASA's Experimental X-59 Plane Flew Faster Than the Speed of Sound, Setting the Stage for 'Quiet' Supersonic Aircrafthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-nasas-experimental-x-59-plane-flew-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound-setting-the-stage-for-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-180988916/The United States banned supersonic flights over its land in 1973 due to their ear-splitting sonic booms. Experts are building a plane that should travel at those speeds but create only gentle thumpsMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:00:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-nasas-experimental-x-59-plane-flew-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound-setting-the-stage-for-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-180988916/Rediscovered Drawings John Lennon Helped Create for the Beatles Became One of Rock ’n’ Roll’s First Music Videoshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rediscovered-drawings-john-lennon-helped-create-for-the-beatles-became-one-of-rock-n-rolls-first-music-videos-180988915/An English collector who acquired ten of the drawings at an auction loaned them to the Liverpool Beatles Museum for a temporary exhibitionMon, 08 Jun 2026 19:33:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rediscovered-drawings-john-lennon-helped-create-for-the-beatles-became-one-of-rock-n-rolls-first-music-videos-180988915/Which Memes Deserve Digital Preservation? See the Online Videos the British Film Institute Selected for a New Archivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/which-memes-deserve-digital-preservation-see-the-online-videos-the-british-film-institute-selected-for-a-new-archive-180988912/Viral videos, tutorials, vlogs and livestream snippets produced across decades offer insight into modern culture and communication, archivists say. This material could be lost without efforts to save itMon, 08 Jun 2026 18:04:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/which-memes-deserve-digital-preservation-see-the-online-videos-the-british-film-institute-selected-for-a-new-archive-180988912/Meet the 'Witch Croc,' a Strange Ancient Crocodile Relative With Two Legs and No Teeth That Roamed New Mexico During the Triassichttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-witch-croc-a-strange-ancient-crocodile-relative-with-two-legs-and-no-teeth-that-roamed-new-mexico-during-the-triassic-180988909/The reptile, a dinosaur look-alike called a shuvosaur, represents a long-awaited discovery that helps paleontologists fill a gap in the fossil recordMon, 08 Jun 2026 16:09:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-witch-croc-a-strange-ancient-crocodile-relative-with-two-legs-and-no-teeth-that-roamed-new-mexico-during-the-triassic-180988909/This Colorful Parrot Had Been Seen Only Once Over the Past Century. Birders Just Rediscovered It in an Unexplored Indonesian Foresthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-colorful-parakeet-had-been-seen-only-once-over-the-past-century-birders-just-rediscovered-it-in-an-unexplored-indonesian-forest-180988907/First described in the 1920s from seven specimens, the blue-fronted lorikeet hadn't been spotted since 2014. Bird-watchers on a recent trek snapped photos of the rare bird and captured the first known audio recordings of its callsMon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-colorful-parakeet-had-been-seen-only-once-over-the-past-century-birders-just-rediscovered-it-in-an-unexplored-indonesian-forest-180988907/A Shipwreck 'Almost Beyond Belief' Stunned Archaeologists in Norway With Its Cargo of Intact Porcelain Dishes and Luxury Goodshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-almost-beyond-belief-stunned-archaeologists-in-norway-with-its-cargo-of-intact-porcelain-dishes-and-luxury-goods-180988910/So far, archaeologists have recovered 40 artifacts from the discovery, an 18th-century shipwreck that likely will yield thousands more treasuresFri, 05 Jun 2026 22:07:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-almost-beyond-belief-stunned-archaeologists-in-norway-with-its-cargo-of-intact-porcelain-dishes-and-luxury-goods-180988910/